cashewlater | loss;

loss;

[ cyno is certainly no stranger to pain, both physical and psychological.. but that does not mean that he cannot hurt.

it's quiet in caravan ribat, night blanketing the town in dark silence, and cyno sits on a bed at the inn, babying the long gash to his shoulder. it's certainly not the worst wound he's ever taken, but he's not dwelling on the physical pain, not when his heart feels so heavy.

taj was a good man, and in the end, cyno could not save him. there was nothing left to save. his old partner was long gone, having faded away with the death of his son, gone somewhere cyno could not reach, and while he does not hold taj's choices against him, his loss still makes his heart ache. cyno's ribs feel tight, his throat dry, and though he schools his expression to stern consternation, anyone who knows to look will see the telltale shadow behind his eyes, that flits like a ghost.

tighnari, surely, will know.

cyno watches him through hooded eyes as he works, his lover's back to him, his gloves peeled away as he mixes salves and prepares sutures, things that cyno has seen him do what feels like a hundred times before. he swallows thickly. and then he stands, lifting his headpiece away and setting it gently on the nightstand before he's stepping up behind tighnari, and before he can think better of it, cyno is pressing his face into the back of his partner's shoulder, breathing him in. he won't weep. cyno can't remember the last time he shed a tear. but he feels torn up inside nevertheless, and what he wants more than anything is the warmth of tighnari's body near, reminding him that he's real, and alive. ]

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[ Tighnari does know.

He knew it was something urgent, something deeply important to Cyno from the moment he'd been summoned. It isn't often that Cyno summons him, least of all to the desert where he has exiled himself. As desperately as they might miss one another, this was Cyno's mission, and Tighnari had his own in Gandharva Ville. Not long ago, he knew the Traveler had met him there, but beyond that, the goings on were a frustrating mystery to him. He's eager to know what's happened, to ask Cyno a million questions and find out everything that is making his partner ache, but for him to be hurting this deeply...

Yes, he is wounded physically, but those are far from the greater injuries he bears. Tighnari will find a way to salve those wounds, too. He won't rest until he does, even if what Cyno might need most right now is the simple reassurance of his presence.

So when Cyno rises to press near to Tighnari from behind, Tighnari does not turn and urge him back onto the bed, resisting the urge to chastise him for moving while he's being treated. Instead, he sets down his mortar and pestle, exhaling a long breath and reaching to cover Cyno's hands with his own.

Turning his head, he presses a soft kiss to Cyno's temple. ]

I could berate you for getting up while I'm trying to treat you, but I'm working on improving my bedside manner.

[ He says with all the gentleness in the world. ]

[ even still, cyno can't help but feel a little guilty calling tighnari all the way out here, to the desert of all places, when he's always so busy with his work in the forest. cyno knows quite well that he can count on his partner to be here when he needs him, however, and he does need him - not only to treat the merchant's daughter, but for.. himself. because he's feeling lonely, aching.

it's not often that cyno can admit to such a thing. ]

Your bedside manner is fine.

[ he murmurs, his arms weaving around tighnari's middle, holding tightly to him as his eyes close. the wound on his shoulder throbs, but that's the last thing on cyno's mind right now, especially when just being near to his partner helps to alleviate the pain in his soul, that raw, bereft feeling. eyes closed, he nuzzles his nose and mouth to tighnari's shoulder. he feels so soft and pleasantly warm, and he smells so familiar that it makes cyno's throat tighten up with emotion.

he wants to say more, to gently tease tighnari about his stern demeanor with his patients, but.. cyno's heart simply is not in it, tonight. ]

[ And once again, Tighnari knows.

His heart aches to here even the worst of Cyno's jokes, because it would mean here were feeling something of his usual self. Even for someone as serious as him, he is seldom so...melancholic, so morose. Tighnari could sense it the moment he was summoned, but it only because fully apparent once he arrived at Caravan Ribat.

Cyno needs him, and so he is here, and he won't be leaving tonight, or anytime soon, so long as his partner's heart aches. He has his responsibilities to the forest watchers, yes, but he has a response to his lover, too. The person more dearest to him in the world.

Tighnari needs this, too, though in a different way. Perhaps it is selfish to find relief in having a reason to see Cyno, when such a visit is hardly cheerful, but still, he is. He's glad to be here.

Turning his head further, Tighnari nuzzles into Cyno's fluffy white hair, inhaling the scent of sand and wood and ether from him. It's so achingly familiar, he can't help but indulge. Good thing he hardly needs an excuse to stick close to Cyno tonight, to hang off him like an article of clothing. ]

You say that now, but you may not continue to think so if I need to wheedle out of you what it is that's bothering you.

[ A gentle nudge in that direction, though of course, Tighnari will understand if Cyno needs more time. It's just an open invitation. ]

[ cyno knows that tighnari understands, he always understands, he always knows. they have a quiet, invisible connection through which understanding and love flow, and cyno doesn't need to communicate with words when tighnari picks up so easily on his feelings.

though still, he'll need to explain. he'll need to talk about it. tighnari likely won't let him get away without telling him what's going on, eventually, even if he doesn't need to hear it right this moment. cyno is quiet, at first, remaining where he is, burying his face against his partner's shoulder and simply.. enjoying his presence, his nearness, his scent and warmth and the solidity of his body right here in front of him. ]

Mm. Maybe.

[ he mumbles, his arms around tighnari squeezing, before he finally pulls away with a soft sigh, withdrawing from the gentle, comforting warmth of tighnari's body to instead move back toward the bed, to perch at its edge. best to let tighnari work, to finish what he needs to do; the sooner he's done, the sooner cyno can hold him again. ]

Do you remember my old partner? Taj Radkani.

[ just saying his name is painful, but cyno remains stoic and stiff, his hands curling into fists over his knees. ]

[ It's difficult to allow the space between them once more once Cyno does start speaking to the troubles in his heart, though this may also make it easier on him, to say what needs to be said. Tighnari can stay busy tending to his wounds, and being treated will give Cyno something else to focus on, as well. So he'll allow it, for now, though he cheats out as he turns back to his mortar and pestle so he can keep an eye on Cyno while he speaks. ]

Yes, I remember you telling me stories about him. You two were close.

[ As close as Cyno typically let people get, before Tighnari had entered his life, and stubbornly courted him.

Why does he bring him up now? It can't be for any good reason, and Tighnari's stomach sinks low, already fearing what Cyno may say next. If his heavy heart is due to someone who was dear to him...well. He shouldn't jump to any conclusions. ]

[ no, it certainly isn't for any good reason.

cyno doesn't answer right away, instead gathering himself, finding his words, building up the courage to speak it into existence. he's made his peace with it, he made his peace the moment he saw taj's face, but that doesn't mean the loss does not ache and sting painfully. cyno drops his hands into his lap, and exhales a slow, long sigh. ]

.. he's gone.

[ and after saying those words.. it's easy for the rest to come.

cyno continues on, quiet and stern, about the canned knowledge, about the court of desolation and taj's desire to see his son again, and though he maintains his composure, he's sure that tighnari will note how his voice wavers, the slight tightness in his words. cyno is no stranger to loss and loneliness, but despite all evidence to the contrary, he does possess a warm, open heart beneath his stoic demeanor. a heart that is capable of bleeding, and breaking. just knowing that taj is no longer in the world is like seeing a star wink out of existence in the night sky. he'll be missed.

but wherever he is, cyno hopes, at least, that he is happy. ]

[ It takes all of his willpower not to crumple against Cyno and pull him into his arms from the first moment that he says his old partner is gone.

But Tighnari is diligent in his work, and it's better for both of them, he thinks, if they must confront this terrible thing that Cyno has been through, that he finishes up his ministrations before folding down against his partner completely. Once he does so, he'll doubtless be unable to get up again, and Cyno does need the treatment. So he listens at grave attention as he dresses his wounds, administering salves and bandages as needed, his heart heavy in his chest as Cyno recounts his tale.

Of course, he doesn't miss the way Cyno's voice wavers, and it makes Tighnari's whole soul ache for his love, for this loyal, dedicated man who has already lost so much. How much more must he go through? Why did he have to suffer like this? For a moment, Tighnari finds himself...angry, that Taj would do this when he surely knew what kind of effect it would have on Cyno, for not putting Cyno's feelings first, yet of course, that's a foolish line of thinking, and it passes quickly.

As soon as he has tied off the bandage around Cyno's shoulder and finds his work satisfactorily completed, Tighnari is sliding into Cyno's lap, sitting on his knee with both arms around his neck, tipping their foreheads together. ]

I've got you, my love. I'm here with you.

[ He isn't going anywhere. He will not leave him. ]

[ recounting his story gets easier with each word, but it's still quite painful to discuss, and as the tale unwinds itself, the reality of it begins to set in, weighing heavily on his shoulders, pressing downward.

it's been some time since he'd even seen taj, it's not as if they were close friends, and yet.. cyno learned so very much from that man, he taught him what it was to be a matra, what it meant to follow his own sense of justice without wavering. to say that their relationship was formative to the person that cyno grew to be would be entirely accurate. there was a camaraderie between them. a sense of loyalty. taj was more than a friend, he was a partner, a mentor, someone to look up to, to aspire to be. cyno's voice wavers, and he swallows thickly.

but tighnari.. tighnari knows what to do. he always knows what to do. he slides into cyno's lap, winds his arms around his shoulders, and cyno exhales a slow, soft sigh. ]

'Nari..

[ it's all he can say. all he needs to say. right now, when he's feeling so terribly alone and lost, the best he could hope for is the closeness of another person. tighnari reminds him that he is very much here, that he is present and warm and alive, not cold and buried in the unforgiving sands, and cyno clings to that closeness with strong claws. his arms wind around tighnari's waist, squeezing hard, and he's trembling as he presses his face into his partner's shoulder, taking in a deep breath - he smells so good, so familiar that it's painful.

closing his stinging eyes, cyno exhales slowly, tremulously, his hands snagging fistfuls of tighnari's tunic, holding tightly. ]

[ In the back of his mind, Tighnari can't help but reflect on what a rare privilege this is, though "privilege" hardly seems the right word for it, when his lover is in such pain. Tighnari has seen him like this so rarely, such a raw display of emotion a sight to behold on its own. They will not soon forget this night, but he is also...proud of Cyno, for not burying these emotions deep in the sand and soldiering on, as he does with so many other things. He carries so much for the sake of others, taking on far too much in the name of justice.

He can allow himself to be selfish every once in awhile, and Tighnari is glad that Cyno recognizes that this needs to be one of those times.

Holding Cyno as tightly as he holds him, Tighnari presses nearer still, resting his head in the crook of Cyno's shoulder. He fills every space around his partner that he can, reassuring him with his warmth and contact as well as his voice. ]

What do you need?

[ Whatever it is, he is ready to offer it, no questions asked. ]

[ it is very much unlike cyno to be so open with his emotions, and even still, when compared with more expressive people, he's still holding quite a lot in, but for cyno this is very intense. very emotional. especially once tighnari sinks into him, warm and soft and pliable, speaking in that sweet, soft voice, his head resting on cyno's shoulder. it makes cyno want to yield to him, to sink into him completely until he can feel nothing but tighnari. ]

I just need you.

[ he whispers, his hands gliding up tighnari's back, holding him even nearer still, if at all possible, if there's space between them even left to fill.

swallowing thickly, cyno turns his head to press his face into tighnari's hair, into the soft fur of his ears, breathing in his scent. he presses soft kisses there, his lips dragging against his partner's ear, eager to be filled entirely with tighnari's presence, to allow his warmth to fill up the cold pit in his stomach that was left behind when the court of desolation collapsed. ]

Thank you for coming. [ he murmurs, closing his eyes. ] I love you.

I love you, too.

[ Though Tighnari is one to find answers through words, he has come to learn that sometimes, that is not the way to help someone in their time of need. Sometimes, they need to heal emotionally, just as they need to physically, and what helps most is support and love and constant care. Though it hurts to need to provide that to Cyno at all, as his heart aches for his lover more than it does for his own, he is still more than willing to offer it, in whatever way Cyno needs.

For now, Tighnari follows his lead, turning his face and burrowing into Cyno's thick, fluffy hair, inhaling his familiar scent, his tail flicking slow to the side and curling around Cyno's hip. He couldn't be closer to him if he tried. ]

I will always answer your call.

[ Even if he might bitch about it just a little, sometimes...this is not one of those times. Being gentle and present is the most important part of Cyno's care tonight.

Lifting his face from Cyno's hair, he mouths at the ridge of his lover's ear, breath gusting warm, his knees tightening around Cyno's waist, a subtle suggestion in it. If Cyno needs him, Tighnari is prepared to give himself to him in any way he needs, and something tells him Cyno could use the distraction tonight. ]

[ the mood is beginning to shift, naturally and organically, and cyno is more than glad to welcome it with open arms. tighnari's guess is not incorrect, a distraction is called for, and cyno is willing to indulge. happy to indulge.

though he's never looked down upon others for expressing their emotions - it's an important thing to do - he has difficulty applying the same standard to himself. he doesn't disrespect his own emotional range, but he certainly neglects it, preferring instead to focus on his tasks, on his job, on the path in front of him. dealing with taj's loss will be difficult for him to tackle, for all his heart is tender behind his steely front. for all he is soft on the inside. he knows he'll need to face his grief soon enough, and cyno won't run from it, but for now..

for now the pain is too keen, and he needs the soothing balm of his lover's presence, he needs tighnari's hands, his skin, his scent, his touch, the only thing that can chase away the ache in his heart. at least for now. ]

I know you will.

[ cyno's voice lowers, his hands smoothing up tighnari's back, one slipping into his dark hair, the other skimming down again and dropping to his hip, squeezing, before his palm glides along the soft length of tighnari's tail. no matter how long they have been together, loving him still feels like an absolute privilege. the breath at his ear earns tighnari a hard shiver, goosebumps sweeping down cyno's arms, and his body tenses pleasantly. something warm stirs in his belly.

turning his head, cyno drags his lips along the crest of tighnari's cheek, before catching his mouth with his own, kissing him warm and deep and soft. he tastes wonderful, perfect, familiar. ]

[ It isn't just for Cyno, either. They both need this, tonight. The shock of seeing his loved one in pain is never an easy one to bear, both physically and emotionally, and while he knows Cyno will be alright, there's still few things more reassuring than just...being with him. He speaks volumes with his physicality. He always has.

So Tighnari accepts that kiss eagerly, lips already parted, tongue spilling into Cyno's mouth, dragged along the ridge of his teeth. Already dressed down for his medical care, Cyno already has plenty of bare skin available to Tighnari's hands, and though he already has his arms wrapped around him, they seek out Cyno's warmth with more purpose now, skating along his shoulder blades, and down to his lower back, Tighnari's hips grinding down into Cyno's lap.

A soft groan escapes him. They will still need to be gentle, for Cyno's healing wounds, but Tighnari knows enough about tending to his partner than he can still make love to him without causing him pain. This is the kind of night for tenderness, anyway. ]

Please...help me undress.

[ He wants Cyno's gentle, calloused touch all over him, warm and inviting, holding him close, bare skin to bare skin. Already he is untying the sash around his waist, making it that much easier for Cyno to have access to him. ]

[ what tighnari wants, cyno is eager to give. his touch. his kiss. his presence. right now they both want exactly the same thing, to simply be close with one another, to enjoy the comfort that only this sort of nearness can provide, to come together in every way they can possibly come together, until nothing exists beyond the space they fill, beyond warmth and pleasure and sweet, sweet love. tighnari's hips grind into his lap, and cyno's breath catches, his lips parting, his exhale rushing against tighnari's lips.

help me undress.

cyno is more than happy to oblige, and he's familiar enough with tighnari's clothing to do so with ease. gently, with love and reverence, cyno begins to unwrap his lover like a precious gift, unwinding his burnous and dropping it away, before he snags the bottom of tighnari's undershirt and lifts, sweeping it over his head.

the desert nights are quite cold, even indoors, and tighnari will feel the cool rush of air against his bare skin, but cyno is quick to wrap his lover up in his arms, to warm him, to keep him close. their kiss breaks, and cyno drops his head to drag his mouth along the rise of tighnari's shoulder, while his hands smooth along his back, rough fingertips tracing the dip of his spine straight to the bottom.

gods, but he loves him. his tighnari. his perfect, beautiful tighnari. ]

[ The best part about you playing Tighnari too now is you know how to take off his complicated clothes...helpful!!

And so easily enough, Cyno helps relieve him of his clothing, leaving his top-half bare, the chill air from the open window prickling at his skin, even as Cyno wraps his warm, strong arms around him. He feels so good like this, pressed to his bare skin, needful yet gentle, and the ache in their hearts makes this all the more powerful, all the more meaningful. Tighnari would do anything to take that away from his lover, but he knows as well as anyone that pain such as this takes time to heal, that even this night together will be a temporary distraction, no matter how good it is.

That's all the more reason to celebrate their lives and their love and their bodies like this.

The touch to his spine makes Tighnari shiver, warm bolts heading south, his tail swishing, while Cyno's mouth at his shoulder makes him groan gently. His mouth is always so damned hot - he could swear it's even hotter here, in the desert, but with the cool night air, he doesn't mind it at all. It only serves to make him tighten his knees around Cyno's waist further, as he grinds down again, the thin fabric between them doing little to conceal the heat of their hardening erections.

He'll never grow tired of how wonderful it is to feel wanted by Cyno. Tighnari is not one to put stock in titles and status, but to be wanted by the General Mahamatra himself is indeed flattering in way he never would have expected. ]

Cyno...

[ i sure do!! he wears too much stuff..

but cyno has no problem with it. for all they've come together like this, he knows every stitch of tighnari's clothing, and just how to get it off of him, with expert care. now he's gifted with miles and miles of soft, perfect skin under his hands. for his part, cyno is mostly dressed down to begin with, all the better for tighnari to be able to treat his wounds. his clothing is scant to begin with, but he's shed his mantle and gauntlets, as well as his belt and legbands. his shendyt is folded neatly on the bedside table, with his jackal-headed helm settled neatly atop it.

this leaves cyno in only his shorts. all the better to feel the heat and shape of tighnari's burgeoning erection against his own. cyno groans, swallowing up the sound of his own name on tighnari's lips.

with his arms wrapped tight around his lover, it is easy to lie back against the bed, pulling tighnari over him. one hand rests between his shoulderblades, pressing, the other slipping down past the waistband of his sirwal to palm at his ass, squeezing, his thumb rubbing gentle circles at the base of tighnari's tail. he's sensitive there. cyno knows every one of his sweet spots.

at last, the pain and the loneliness are beginning to ebb. with tighnari so close.. everything feels right again. ]

[ For a moment, he fears he is taking advantage of Cyno's pain, that he shouldn't be enjoying this when the purpose of it is to soothe Cyno's heart, but it's only a fleeting thought, easily pushed away by the throb of pleasure between his legs and at the base of his tail, his breath rushing when Cyno leans back and pulls him on top of him. This suits him perfectly well; all the better to take care of his lover like this, leaning over him with his body at his mercy.

Groaning, his eyes lid heavily, palms cupping at Cyno's jaw to pull him in for a wet, warm kiss, before he breaks away, dragging his fingers lower, along Cyno's throat, his collar bone, his chest and ribs, treasuring every ridge and dip that his touch meets along the way.

At last, he reaches the waistband of Cyno's shorts. Most nights, he would take to teasing him a bit, but not tonight; fingers slipping in at his lover's hips, he tugs his shorts down and over his backside as much as he can, before plunging his hand between them to palm at the heat of his cock. ]

Mm...do you want me, my love?

[ tighnari knows exactly what he wants, exactly how to distract him - ]

'Nari -

[ tighnari's bow-callused hand is delicate and careful and wickedly dexterous, and immediately cyno's cock is filling out fully beneath it. his hips arch away from the mattress, and cyno groans low in his throat, his skin prickling, heat sweeping from his loins up his body and down his legs. all thoughts of loss and pain are driven from his mind. ]

Yes.

[ he answers, without hesitation, without stuttering. cyno's hand coasts along tighnari's back, calluses catching on soft skin as he counts each and every one of his lover's ribs with his fingertips, while the hand on tighnari's ass squeezes, pulling their hips together. his thumb sinks deep into that dense, luxurious fur. ]

I want you. I always want you.

[ cyno is dedicated to his work, his craft, just as tighnari is to his own, but gods does he hate the separation between them, especially now that he's exiled himself to the desert. it's so difficult to be so far from him, to go so long without touching him, without kissing him. in this moment, tighnari is his whole world. ]

[ There's something so sinfully sweet about hearing those words reaffirmed by the General Mahamatra himself, his voice gone husky with want beneath the heat of Tighnari's body and hands. He is a simple Forest Watcher, and Cyno is one of the most powerful and influential men in Sumeru, even if he never wields his influence like that. It still nevertheless is so thrilling to hold him in his hands like this, both metaphorically and literally, to be able to mold his pleasure and dull his pain.

Tighnari shudders, his hips arching back into Cyno's touch, the attention to his tail as sweet as ever. No one knows how to touch him as well as Cyno, naturally, but he especially knows how to touch his tail, just where he is most sensitive, and loves to be pet. ]

And I you.

[ His hand at Cyno's cock begins working in earnest now, his slender fingers curling around his length and pulling from root to tip and back again, in slow, deliberate strokes. Cyno grows warm and thick beneath his touch, and he swipes his thumb over the head of his cock just in time to catch a bead of precome on his skin. It slips down to his wrist, and Tighnari pulls his hand away for a moment, but only so he can like the dribble away with his tongue.

Then his hand returns to its task, warming and working up his cock, while Tighnari begins to kiss his way down Cyno's body, each pass of his mouth lingering and warm like smoldering embers of a fire that threatens to burst free. He keeps himself in check, however; right now is for being sweet and gentle, for filling up all those lonely spaces in Cyno's heart with something wonderful and familiar. ]

I'm going to take good care of you.

[ for all tighnari might feel privileged, cyno feels much the same. no, tighnari might not be a powerful political or military figure, he may not even work for the akademiya at all, but he's nevertheless the best, most interesting, incredible, fascinating person that cyno has ever met. they fell together easily, but cyno was in love with him long before they made the step to further their relationship. he's long admired tighnari. he's not the only one, of course, plenty of people would love to fill the mahamatra's shoes and be tighnari's chosen mate, yet somehow, cyno had been the one fortunate enough to win his heart.

it's an absolute privilege. cyno has never stood on ceremony, never liked or respected others based on their political influence or power, he judges others on their personal merits alone - on the people that they are, and nothing more. if he wanted to, tighnari could rule the entire akademiya with one hand tied behind his back. he's warm, he's kind, he's caring, he's - gods, he's good in bed — ]

You.. mmn..

[ even tighnari's hand alone works wonders, pulling tightly around his cock, his strokes slow, but deep and measured. cyno fills out fully beneath his masterful touch, his hips arching up, and his crimson eyes flicker to tighnari's face as he licks that glistening bead of pre from his skin. he's positively filthy, and it lights a fire in cyno's belly that roars to life. those kisses move down his body, and cyno can feel the heat of tighnari's mouth as it passes over his skin, down his chest, and his cock twitches in electric anticipation.

i'm going to take care of you..

that promise rings in his ears, his blood crackling. ]

[ If he's good in bed, it's only because he's had an excellent person to learn with, someone patient and eager to experiment and engage as he does, and in many ways, it's a privilege that Cyno is the only lover he has ever taken. Their experience has been wholly with one another, no one else catching their eye until the other had entered their lives, and so Tighnari has learned him perfectly, every inch of skin, every scar and ridge and dip, every sensitive spot.

And he will use all his knowledge to his advantage, to give Cyno the kind of experience that will drive the ache of loneliness from even the darkest corners of his bleeding heart. His gaze flickering up to Cyno's face, Tighnari lowers himself down his body further, his tongue flickering along his navel, down to the sharp edge of his hipbone. With one more long, deep stroke, he lets go of Cyno's cock, but only so he can pull his shorts and underclothes off him fully, sliding them down over his thighs and ankles until Cyno is beautifully, wonderfully bare beneath him. ]

Mm...you're so exquisite.

[ He can't deny himself the moment to simply drink in the sight of his lover's naked form, and for how long he has had to go without seeing him like this, it's all the sweeter. He's perfect, down to every last freckle and scar. Tighnari's heart beats hard in his throat, as he licks his lips, ears laying back against his head.

And then he's scooting even lower than before, settling down between Cyno's legs and encouraging him to hook his knees over his shoulders with his hands. His head dips between his slender, muscular thighs, dragging his tongue from his knee to the crease of his hip on his left leg, and then doing the same for his right, slow and easy, tasting the warm flesh of his inner thigh.

It's only after his gaze flickers up to Cyno again, searching for his intense gaze gone tight with need, that Tighnari at last turns his tongue against the underside of his cock, lapping him up in one long stroke. ]

[ tighnari loves him so well, so attentively, kissing affectionately over every scar, down his tight stomach, along the ridge of his hip, and all of it has cyno positively squirming. he's a man of great self-control, and so he tries his best to remain still, to let tighnari work his magic, but it's difficult when he's feeling so needy, when it's been weeks since they were last together. he's stripped down fully, his shorts pulled down his lean legs and off, the chilly night air kissing over too-hot skin.

and then tighnari is simply.. looking at him, his gaze sweeping over cyno's body. he's never put much stock into his own looks. he takes care of himself, of course, he stays fit and strong, but that's for his work, not his image. cyno's body is his weapon, it's incredibly important that he keep it sharp and well-honed, considering how much he relies on it.

.. but it's nice to look good for his partner, too. he enjoys the way tighnari looks at him, how clear it is that he likes what he sees, that he finds cyno attractive, and worthy as a mate. tighnari's eyes are full of want, and it's fully, completely distracting, engaging, flattering, and cyno finds his own gaze fixed on tighnari's face. it's an intimate moment. fleeting, but memorable.

and then tighnari is moving again, settling between his thighs, urging cyno's legs over his shoulders, and he's only all too happy to oblige. his lover's tongue is hot and slick, gliding along his tight inner thighs, and cyno's breath catches - and then he groans, low and deep, when tighnari licks luxuriously along his cock, precome drooling against his belly. sweet pleasure whites out his vision, and cyno's pupils blow wide, one hand slipping into tighnari's hair, grasping. ]

Please..

[ That single word makes him shiver. The way it's uttered, the way he pleads - how many people can say they've had the General Mahamatra beg them for anything? Nothing makes Tighnari feel more wanted, save perhaps for the eager hand in his hair, urging him onward. Tonight he has no intention to tease unnecessarily, so he is quick to answer Cyno's plea.

He curls his tongue around Cyno's length, from root to tip, tasting the thick heat of his velvety skin, before he reaches the head of his cock sucks away that bit of precome, its flavor so familiar. Once again his tongue circles around Cyno's tip, before at last Tighnari takes him deeper into his mouth, pulling him in deep and swallowing around his length as he has learned to do so well by now. At once, his mouth is full of Cyno's exquisite flavor, and Tighnari groans around him before he drags his tongue back and rocks his head in a slow, heated rhythm.

The night is quiet, the moment private, no sound around them aside from the night breeze, Cyno's labored breathing, and the wicked, wet sounds of Tighnari swallowing Cyno deep, taking him in and out of his mouth, all the way up to the tip, and back out again. One hand hooks into Cyno's hip, but the other finds his lover's free hand, weaving their fingers together, holding fast and tight.

He is here to keep him grounded, even as he sends him to the realm of the gods. ]

[ the feeling is irresistible, incredible. the curtains are drawn, the window is cracked, cyno shouldn't groan the way he does and yet he finds he cannot help himself, for how lost he is in the perfect sensation of tighnari's warm, wet mouth. he's good at this. he's so good at this. if cyno wasn't fully hard before, he certainly is now, his cock jerking against tighnari's tongue.

it's certainly working. tighnari's plan. all at once the shadows are chased from cyno's mind, he's lost in the sweet, impossible pleasure of his lover's mouth and throat, in the sinful wet noises that tighnari makes as his head bobs up and down. thoughtlessly, cyno's hips roll upward, pressing his cock further into the lovely pressure of tighnari's throat, deep into that astonishing heat, the small of his back arching away from the sheets. he'd control himself more, but they've done this enough that he knows that tighnari can take it, he knows how far he can and can't go. ]

Tighnari.. you..

[ when tighnari moans around his cock, cyno's breath catches hard, the vibration against that wicked tongue enough to send his pulse skyrocketing. tighnari's hand seeks his own, and cyno is quick to loose it from the sheets, quick to slide their fingers together, grasping, squeezing as if ne needs the anchor, because he does. he needs the ground, lest the electric crackle of his pleasure send him too high to retrieve. ]

You're.. mm, you're perfect..

[ everything about him. his warm hands. his sweet, delectable mouth. his kindness in distracting cyno the best way they know how. his hips roll again, cyno's hand in tighnari's hair tightening, pressing gently, urging him for more. ]

[ His reactions are the best thing of all, so sweet and wonderful and irresistible. It's a privilege to unravel him like this, and that they know each other as well as they do only heightens the experience. He can give Cyno exactly what he wants, and in turn, Cyno knows exactly how much to ask for, just how deep Tighnari can take him, how to thrust and roll his hips against the rhythm of his mouth while Tighnari breathes in tandem. He hardly needs to think about it, and yet Tighnari doesn't entirely give himself over to his instincts, though he knows they would carry him through. Tonight, he is treating his love extra special. He will give him everything he wants, everything he could want, and it must drive him wild, it must chase every ache away, if even for the moment.

Drawing his mouth up along Cyno's cock, Tighnari drags his tongue in an exquisite circle around the head of his cock, gathering saliva and precome and swallowing it down. His tail swishes behind him, flickering languidly as he hums yet again. ]

So are you.

[ Pulling to the side, his teeth sink into the flesh of Cyno's inner thigh, teasing and ungentle, while his free hand lifts to stroke his slicked length, slippery with Tighnari's own spit. Another bite, and then another, to the other thigh. ]

I want to suck you until the last drop. Until you're trembling and can't remember your own name, or the color of the sky.

[ Then at last, Tighnari takes him into his mouth again, his pretty, pink lips closing in a perfect circle around his tip, before swallowing him deep again, pushing even further than before, up to the hilt, his tongue pulsing against the underside of Cyno's cock like a bowed string. ]

[ tighnari has grown into such an excellent lover. together, they have learned one another's bodies perfectly, every ridge and dip and cavern, every smooth plane of muscle and rise of tight sinew. it's been wonderful. it's been a privilege. and all of their time together has culminated in this moment, in tighnari's mouth around his cock, swallowing him down with sweet perfection.

when tighnari comes up for air, cyno's eyes crack open again, his slitted pupils blown wide and black, watching, drinking in the sight of his lover. tighnari looks so good like this, his pale skin flushed warm, his lips pink and parted, swollen from their work, his wicked tongue quick as it traces the head of cyno's cock, glistening and slippery. it's like a punch of pleasure to the gut, and cyno's body tenses up, his cock twitching against tighnari's laving tongue - and then he's pulling away, which is just as good, because cyno is growing close, and he doesn't want to finish just yet. soon. not yet. not yet.

those nagging teeth sink into his thigh, and cyno groans again, the sound like gravel in his throat, his hips bucking upward, pushing his length through the slick circle of tighnari's fingers, again, again, again. another bite, the searing pain grounding him, exciting him, boiling his blood in his veins. cyno's grasp on tighnari's hair tightens, fingernails biting into the tender skin of one of his ears, dragging to the tip, rubbing it between the pads of his fingers and thumb. and then, those words.. ]

Please..

[ he murmurs, punctuated by a breathy moan when tighnari is dropping his head again, setting back to his work, the heat of his mouth passing over cyno's length, further, deeper, stealing him down into the passage of his throat until he's fully, blessedly encapsulated. cyno arches. hisses. groans. ]

Don't stop.. you're so good. You're so good. I'm close.

[ He is close, and Tighnari knows it, even through the static of pleasure in his own brain. Working Cyno up like this takes its toll on him, too, his cock painfully hard and neglected, but it's easier to ignore when Cyno needs him like this, especially when he grasps his hair and touches his ear just so. He's so very sensitive where Cyno touches him, and Cyno knows it - he'll know it in the purr that vibrates around his cock, a muffled whine as Tighnari coughs around his cock, sucking in precious air and buffeting his length, unwilling to relinquish the hold he has on his lover with his mouth.

His throat pulls hard against Cyno's cock once, twice, before Tighnari must pull back for a proper breath, but it's enough. Cyno is right at the blessed, wonderful edge, and while ordinarily Tighnari might try to edge him to draw his pleasure out, tonight is different, and this is only the beginning. He plans to treat Cyno to a night full of this. Why not let him come now, and again and again to ease the burden weighing on his tender heart?

In the long run, it won't heal his hurts, no. It won't replace what is lost. But pleasure and distraction are what he needs right now, to tend to his wounds and clear the infection.

His swollen lips drag along the side of Cyno's length, and then the other side, as he trembles and shudders. He's done well, he thinks. ]

Let it go, my love. Come for me.

[ His lips close over the head of his cock again, ready for his lover to spill into his mouth, to taste his come upon his lips. The tip of his tongue flickers over his slit, as though Cyno needs any further encouragement.

At this point, he doubts Cyno could stop himself, even if he wanted to. ]

[ there can be no stopping it. no pulling back. it's been months since last they touched, and though he's been distracted with work, cyno nevertheless has yearned for his lover, ached for him with every bone in his body. gods, he has missed him.

cyno doesn't hold back. there's no need. he allows the pleasure to crest naturally, allows himself to feel it, to drown in it completely, fully. with a soft, throaty cry cyno hits his peak, his back arching away from the covers, his dark skin dewy with sweat, his abdomen tensing up tight - he comes, spilling hard against his lover's lips, and into his mouth, ropes of sticky come spurting against the roof of his mouth, coating tighnari's tongue in his mess. with his eyes squeezed shut again, cyno can lose himself in the irresistible sensation, and on each sharp exhale rides a gutterul moan, his pulse skyrocketing.

he's grasping the blankets, and tighnari's hair, so tightly that his knuckles go pale, stars exploding behind his eyelids, his body hot from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. ]

Tighnari.. 'Nari..

[ he breathes the name like a prayer to the gods, his thumb pressing to the delicate pink flesh of tighnari's inner ear, his thighs trembling with tension, the last of his seed dribbling against tighnari's lower lip. his eyelids flicker, lifting just enough for him to catch the lovely, delectable image of tighnari debauched, his face flushed and his lips slick with come. ]

[ It's so perfect, it's always so perfect, watching his love come undone like this, and feeling it, too - it doesn't matter if it's inside his body or inside his mouth or anywhere else, the feeling of Cyno coming is irresistible, deeply satisfying in a primal way, and it alone is nearly enough to send Tighnari over the edge.

But he can't - not yet, anyway, not when he has Cyno to tend to, to milk every bit of pleasure out of his cock that he can. Cyno's lips and tongue remain tightly puckered around Cyno's tip, and he makes good on his promise, swallowing up each thick rope of come as Cyno releases it, the taste and texture so familiar, so filthy, so good. Tighnari never would have thought he would have enjoyed this before Cyno, but there's something so deeply satisfying about unraveling his partner and then cleaning up the mess, with only his mouth. It's all very empowering, and tidy.

Tighnari remains attentive until every last drop is spilt, only then drawing back to lave at Cyno's tip with his messy tongue, seed and saliva both trailing in strands between his mouth and Cyno's cock. Tighnari breaths hot against Cyno's skin, licking his lips and leaning his brow to the crease between his lover's thigh and hip. He presses a wet, filthy kiss there. ]

You taste better than ever.

[ And Tighnari can never get enough of him. ]

[ tighnari is picture perfect as he swallows down cyno's come, licking his filthy lips like the cat who got the cream, after sucking cyno's cock like he was being paid for it. he's perfect in every way. every time they come together, every time he even thinks about tighnari, cyno remembers how lucky he is to have him, as a friend, a confidante, a lover, a partner..

dropping his hand from tighnari's hair, he drags his thumb along his lover's lower lip, swollen from his work, gliding it town through the trails of saliva on his chin. ]

That was good..

[ an understatement. a vast understatement. tighnari knows what he's doing. his breath gusts hot against cyno's hip, and he exhales in a shivering sigh, his entire body falling slack. the dregs of his pleasure continue to lap at his too-hot skin as cyno comes down, licking at him like little tongues of flame, curling in his belly, tingling in his groin. his fingers slip beneath tighnari's chin, lifting his face so cyno can look at him properly. ]

Come here.

[ Though his own cock still aches, Tighnari finds satisfaction in the moment as well, in making his partner come so intensely, and that's enough to keep him from needing to address his own fervor for the moment. When Cyno prompts him to, lifting his face in his hand, Tighnari rises and crawls over his lover's body, sliding against him, hands dragging along warm, bare skin. ]

As you wish.

[ At last, he is near enough to kiss Cyno's mouth again, and he does so, slick and filthy as his mouth his. Cyno will taste himself in his lover's mouth, but it's hardly anything new for either of them.

While Tighnari kisses him, his free hand drops to his cock, to gently pull his fingers in a delicate circle around his cock. He needs just a little stimulation, just a little pleasure, to keep himself together. ]

[ tighnari climbs up his body, and the moment he's able to cyno gathers him into his arms, pulling their bodies tightly together as tighnari's mouth seeks his own. cyno murmurs against those lips, exhaling a low, rumbling groan into his lover's mouth, lips parting, tongues curling together, sweeping the roof of tighnari's mouth.

he tastes good, like familiar rainwater, and the acrid flavor of cyno's cock and come, salty and bitter. his hands grasp, pulling down tighnari's back, cupping his ass and squeezing, pulling their hips together, rolling his body upward. ]

Let me.

[ tighnari might want to spoil him, but cyno can't help but want to touch him himself. snaking a hand between their bodies, his fingers weave through tighnari's own around his cock, squeezing, pulling him in long, slow strokes, feeling the slippery heat of his precome smearing between their bellies. ]

I love you..

[ with his entire heart. with his entire being. taj may have left an empty space in cyno's heart, but tighnari's love and attentions expand to fill the gap until all cyno can feel is the warmth of his affections, perfect and lovely. tighnari's presence alone is a healing balm that soothes his aches and burns, that softens all of his hard, sharp edges, sanding him down to something more palatable, less animal and more human. ]

[ Much as he might want to spoil Cyno, Tighnari cannot deny him anything, so when he reaches for his cock between their met bodies, Tighnari's own hand slips away, flitting up and sinking into Cyno's thick mane of hair. Yes, this will do...it's spoiling Cyno in a different way, really, to let him drag the pleasure of him like this, and both of them get what they want.

Leaning his head into the crook of Cyno's neck, Tighnari groans, rolling his hips against Cyno's touch. He's always such a sweet, attentive lover, his touch just as strong and intense as it needs to be, never too much, never too little. Cyno may feel it a privilege to be loved by Tighnari, but the reverse is true as well. ]

I love you, too.

[ He murmurs like a prayer to Cyno's skin, his breath hitching as his lover's fingers draw precome out of him, dribbling down his rough-worn fingers. ]

More than anything.

[ tighnari stretches over him luxuriously, lounging down against him like a lazy cat, and cyno loves the closeness, the nearness. his free arm scoops back behind his lover's back, settling against the dip, slim fingers splaying over tighnari's smooth, soft skin. the constellation of calluses on his open palm catch against plush fur as he sweeps his hand down the base of his partner's tail, strong fingers dipping deep into his fur.

meanwhile, between their bodies his opposite hand moves, fingers curled around the shaft of tighnari's cock, feeling the weight of him, appreciating his heat, his fullness. he has such a pretty cock, smooth and velvety soft, and the feel of it alone in cyno's hand is exciting, beautiful, perfect. he falls into an easy rhythm, squeezing on the upstroke, loosening on the down, his thumb pressing through the slit, gathering slick pre to lubricate his strokes. he knows just what tighnari likes, just how he likes to be touched, and cyno bends his very will to the single purpose of pleasuring his partner.

with tighnari's head settled against the dip of his shoulder their bodies are perfectly molded together, sliding and shifting as tighnari moves above him, rolling his hips down, pressing into the circle of cyno's fingers, seeking his own pleasure. turning his head, he breathes hot against one of tighnari's ears, whispering. ]

You're beautiful.

[ he purrs, his voice like molten stone as it rolls, his lips pressed to the soft pink skin of the inside of tighnari's ear, where cyno knows he is sensitive. between them, his hand moves faster, gripping more tightly, urging him. ]

Come for me. I want to feel you spill between my fingers.

[ He was already getting close before, but now...it doesn't take much at all to push him towards the edge, especially with how well Cyno knows him. He knows just how he likes to be touched, just how to make him whimper in need, as he does now, turn on by Cyno's voice and lips as much as he is by his touch. Gods, but he's good, wonderfully attentive, sweet and focused and patient, and soon enough Tighnari's hips are stuttering in their thrusts, his cock twitching and his breath catching.

How could Tighnari deny him something like that?

So he lets himself rise to that edge and fall over it, easily urged by Cyno's slick fingers, as he comes with a sharp cry, hips pushing into Cyno's touch as his seed spills out of him, hot and thick, between their bellies. White-hot pleasure grips him from head to toe, his body tingling, narrowing, focusing, until all there is is Cyno's fingers and his cock, pushing for more, until there is nothing left to give.

Their bellies slick and filthy, Tighnari settles down more fully against Cyno with a groan, breathing hard, nuzzling up into his hair and inhaling the scent of his sweat and skin. ]

Mmm...Cyno...

[ tighnari is as lovely as ever as he comes apart, his hips beating a staccato rhythm as cyno strokes him deeper, faster, tightening his grip. that tighnari could have gotten so close just from sucking his cock, just from pleasuring him, is a sweet, wonderful offering of flattery that warms cyno deep in his bones. he's so lucky. he's so, so lucky.

wet heat bursts between their bodies, tighnari's come thick and sticky against his skin, but even still, cyno continues to stroke him, milking every last drop, squeezing, pressing, pumping until he's overstimulated and squirming.

then and only then does he relent, the both of them falling slack together, boneless and satiated, slick with sweat and fluid. cyno drags his fingers between their bodies, through the mess tighnari left behind, lifting them to his mouth to taste the bitter salt of his seed, familiar on his tongue. it's filthy. they're filthy. only for tighnari can he be this man. ]

Feel good?

[ he asks, full well knowing the answer but wanting to hear it nonetheless, to hear it in tighnari's voice gone thin and raw with want and satisfaction. his arms close around his lover's middle, strong and secure, pulling their bodies tightly together. ]

[ And only for Cyno can Tighnari be this man. He wouldn't have it any other way. What they have is perfect, and though he isn't one to believe in fate or destiny, if he ever thought he had a soulmate, he has no doubt in this world that it is the man with him right now. There's just something about the way they fit together, perfectly complementing one another. He could never love another like this; he's certain of that.

Still whimpering around thin groans in his throat, Tighnari shivers beneath Cyno's arms, his fingers lifting to curl against his lover's chest, his eyes closing to better appreciate the sensation of it all. ]

Great. Never better.

[ Lifting his jaw, he nuzzles to Cyno's cheek, smiling softly while his breath slows, his heart beginning to rest once more. ]

I love you.

[ They've said it multiple times already tonight, but it bears repeating. Again and again. ]

[ tighnari sounds so good when he's pleasured, all soft whines and groans that ring in cyno's ears and make his blood sing with the knowledge that he's done this, that tighnari's pleasure is all for him, brought on by his hands and body and mouth. it activates his possessiveness, makes him want to hold tighnari even more tightly, to keep him close. cyno doesn't like to consider himself the jealous type, but.. he can't help but be a little possessive.

he can feel tighnari's smile against his jaw when he nuzzles close, and cyno makes a gentle, pleased noise like a purr in his chest. ]

I love you, too.

[ he can never say it too much. he can never hear it too much. especially now, when his heart is heavy and aching with loss, tighnari's sweet words are a soothing salve. turning his head, cyno captures tighnari's lips with his own, kissing him softly, but deeply, his tongue tracing the shape of his lover's lower lip, dipping inside where he belongs, tasting the lingering flavor of his own come on tighnari's tongue. ]

Thank you for coming all the way out here.

[ he murmurs, right against his lips, unwilling to break the kiss even to speak. cyno feels lazy and boneless, more at ease than he's been in a long time, since the last time he and tighnari were together. ]

[ There's truly nothing more satisfying or serene than lying in Cyno's arms, close to him in a way he is close to no one else, kissing him deeply after making love, tasting come in their mouths. It may have been Cyno who called him here, but Tighnari needed this, too. He always does. Cyno's love and support brings much-needed stability to his life, and it especially goes a long way right now, while so much is in upheaval. With any luck, Cyno won't have to remain exiled for long, but while he does, Tighnari will treasure these moments, few and far between though they might be. They will carry him through the wilderness, literally and metaphorically.

His response comes the same way Cyno's words had, against his lovers tongue, muffled by his lips. ]

Of course. Any time you need me, just call, and I will answer.

[ He knows Cyno would do the same for him.

He breathes in Cyno's air, his fingers lifting to lace behind his neck, through his mane of thick, wild hair. ]

Are you feeling better now, my love?

[ he's right. if tighnari called for him, cyno would answer in an instant. nothing could ever be more important, not even his work. ]

Mm, I do.

[ the sex was mindblowing, as always, and it did well to distract him, and flood his brain with all of those lovely chemicals, but it's tighnari's closeness that had helped the most. the nearness of a dear friend and lover, right by his side. he couldn't ask for more, especially when they are both in such dire need of it.

cyno rumbles gently at the feel of those fingers in his hair, his eyes flicking momentarily closed as he soaks in the feel of it, the feel of the entire moment. tighnari's warm weight over him, the sharp scent of sex and sand in the air, the sound of his lover's breathing, and sweet words.. all of it soothes his battered heart.

at last cyno shifts, turning onto his side, but keeping tighnari close with an arm around his middle, cyno's eyes settling onto his face. reaching, cyno brushes the hair from tighnari's beautiful eyes. ]

Tell me about your work. And Collei. How is she?

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