[Folkmore IC Inbox][un: hythlodaeus]

[modestpurpose]

hythlodaeus

This is Hythlodaeus! It looks like you missed me, so leave me a message.

Comments

[modestpurpose]

[So maybe it's a little reluctant, the way he finally takes his hand back, but he slips his fingers free and looks over the two dishes for a moment before decisively selecting the quiche. He picks up some bread to go along with it and settles comfortably into his seat.

Then he pauses, for a long moment, his fork in his hand and his attention apparently elsewhere. His gaze flickers and he lets out a soft breath through his nose.]

This is so nice. [Just spending time together, regardless of the why.] And entirely too long in coming.

[He pauses to take a bite of food, chewing it thoughtfully.]

At the risk of irritating you with my sentimentality... I'm glad you're here. I missed you.

[recreator]

[Emet-Selch doesn't appear to mind the decision. He slides the other plate towards himself, twirling the noodles around his fork in a practiced (if somewhat idle) sort of way. It's when Hythlodaeus lets out another breath that Emet-Selch glances across the table at him to see precisely why he sighed.]

[He's quiet a moment, considering.]

I won't begrudge you your sentimentality. That my presence remains a novelty to you is favorable, after all...

Indeed, compared to you I find it all too easy to dismiss the little things - present company nonwithstanding, that is. I would therefore urge you to cherish every moment.

['Tis the sort of thing he used to say once upon a time, to their mutual friend.]

Though I suppose it's worth noting that I have come by several important truths during the course of mine own journey. One of which being that I have existed without you once - and I would not do so again.

[modestpurpose]

[Cherishing every moment is not something he has to be told to do twice. They had had precious little time together, watching the end of the final act playing out across so grand a stage, before they had both moved on together. Hythlodaeus would be lying if he said he had not the smallest amount of regret for not having needled him to stay a bit longer.

It could have been fun.

He's in the middle of a bite, listening to the other man speak and letting the sound of his voice roll over him, when he goes ahead and says that. It's just as well that Hythlodaeus had managed to swallow his mouthful because the way his breath catches in his throat would have surely had him choking.]

You-... [There is a single, slightly mortifying realisation in that moment. Though Hades has caught him by surprise several times already he has not said anything yet that has hit Hythlodaeus so squarely in the chest as this. He blinks rapidly then sets his fork down, pushing the heel of his hand lightly against the corner of his eye and giving a shaky laugh.] You have no idea what it does to me when you say things like that, do you?

[Or maybe he does. Hythlodaeus shakes his head.]

In all the time I spent in that strange dream... I still somehow noted your absence. I wondered, at times... if you knew how you might find me, but then I thought, no, if you knew, you would have come. [He picks his fork up again. Gives a small sniff as he pulls himself together.] But you should know, my dear Hades, that if you want me then I am yours. As I ever was.

[recreator]

[Not precisely as planned. It takes a moment for him to realize that it isn't the food or a sudden case of indigestion that has Hythlodaeus falling silent, it's that his friend seems dangerously close to openly weeping.]

[And this the very least of what he could say. The dish has rather lost its flavor, Emet-Selch brushing the plate and silverware to one side so that he might lean over the table, his brows knit.]

[How strange it is...this feeling. How long since he last spoke with utter authenticity. Not the truth, for truth's sake, but putting his own thoughts and emotions to words.]

If you would perhaps be willing to describe it in excruciating detail, then I might be provided some inkling.

[He says. His expression appears complicated, a brief moment of brevity - a hopeful quirk of his lips, before his expression turns serious once more. Emet-Selch folds his hands together on the table in front of him, shoulders squared as he shakes his head - Hythlodaeus may wish to withhold the fork a moment longer.]

The time you spent within Lord Zodiark, you mean? Aye, I knew where I might find you. What I did not know was what state I might find you in, nor what would occur should I attempt to retrieve you, nor whether you would come, having already made your decision.

Nay. My efforts were instead devoted entirely to the Rejoining, that you and everyone else might find some semblance of home to return to; as was our promise. Needless to say, we never dreamed that such a reunion would be so long in coming - not in the beginning at least.

[Another pause, and then.]

Hardly the most romantic of admissions, I confess. A paltry offering for your candor. Yet you should know that I do want you. As ever I did.

...As never I said.

[modestpurpose]

... No. You never did say.

[The fork goes down again. A little more slowly this time, carefully placed against the edge of the quiche and its accompaniments. Hythlodaeus moves out of his chair, though it's only to shift himself (and the chair) closer to the other man's side of the table.

Once there he takes hold of Hades' hand and lifts it to his lips to gently kiss it.]

And I should be very cross with you for taking this long to finally come out with it.

[Should be. By the Star, he should be! How long had he spent wanting to have him like this? They could have been— The things they could have had. It's infuriating. Hades is infuriating.

He's utterly infuriating, and Hythlodaeus utterly adores him, through and through.]

Just kiss me, would you? Before I start to cry and embarrass us both.

[recreator]

[Hades watches him. For a moment he wonders if Hythlodaeus will leave. 'Tis a possibility he hasn't accounted for, but one he might understand. Instead, he finds Hythlodaeus moving his chair so they can sit within arms' reach of one another, his hand taken for what could well be the dozenth time. He's already lost count, beyond the fact that his touch is warm, gentle, and earnest.]

[It's enough to soothe even the hardest of hearts, he thinks - that sort of devotion.]

Such is your right. Though I daresay you have a most unusual way of showing it.

[Hythlodaeus doesn't seem cross. There are any number of reasons he could be, and yet he has been met only with compassion. A compassion he doesn't deserve, perhaps, but one he cannot help but yearn for.]

[Hades sighs, as if he's been holding his breath for the same span of time that he's kept this truth to himself. The backs of his fingers brush across Hythlodaeus's cheek softly, toying with the flyaway strands that curl over his ear.]

And what assurance do I have that you won't cry even if I do kiss you? But since you asked...

[He's aware enough of their surroundings. Hythlodaeus is close, his own back angled in such a way that there's little chance of most people seeing. And at the moment, a part of him isn't certain he cares. Let them see. Let them see just who - and what - he has longed for all these years.]

[He tilts Hythlodaeus's chin, his lips pressing to his. Chaste, but unhesitating.]

[modestpurpose]

[There are several reasons why he isn't really cross at all, not least of which is the fact that he had all the time in the world to say something as well. He kept it to himself by choice, not wanting to create a potential issue between them, and only now does he seem to have enough bravery to say what he really wants.

Not too late, he would hope, and not too little.

The demand was born of impatience laced with his usual good humour. Hythlodaeus couldn't be sure what Emet-Selch's reaction might be - if he might refuse outright or politely defer the request until later - but he finds himself pleasantly surprised on all counts.

A soft touch to his cheek, the brushing back of his hair... he feels himself flush pink but doesn't dare move. He wouldn't dare even chance to give Hades cause to doubt. The tilt of his chin has him leaning in a little, eyes dipping shut and heart pounding in anticipation, and finally the moment he has desired for so long crystallises into reality.

Hythlodaeus slips a hand into the other man's hair, gripping gently against it as if to hold him in place as he presses softly into that kiss, lingering in it for as long as he possibly can. When they part his eyelashes are wet and he wipes them quickly with the heel of his hand.]

Ah-hah. I didn't cry. [He might, still. He looks elated and overwhelmed all at once.] You do know how to keep a man waiting... but as ever, you don't disappoint.

[astralera]

[ She would have had to teach him some gardening regardless of if he had any prior knowledge, Era knows, since she's particular about the care of each individual plant rooted in her soil. Era also knows Hythlodaeus may see this as an unequal 'trade', despite the future benefits it would bring her that she cannot yet share with him.

Eyeing the man — her new new-old friend — holding the bow she crafted with him in mind, clearly beyond pleased with the gift but also feeling undeserving of it, Era takes a moment to consider how best to proceed. Eventually she comes to a realization she should have come to years ago: ]

I enjoy teaching others. [ It shouldn't surprise her as much as it does, given how delighted she was whenever her students understood what she taught them; that glint in their eyes when things finally clicked thanks to her guidance. ] I enjoy it almost as much as new adventures. An opportunity to teach you how to make new life flourish beneath your fingertips with tenderness and affection rather than aether...

[ Era considers it again, and decides it to be an unbalanced exchange. ]

For the bow you can assist me with my garden, and for my nameday gift you can let me teach you.

[recreator]

[He could understand being cross. He could even understand being cross at himself. It's both vexing and gratifying - the warmth of his friend leaning forward into him, the way his fingers wind into his hair - not quite pulling, but holding him captive all the same. The frustration of having yearned for this so long, culminating into this all too brief pinpoint in time - so soft, so bright it feels as though he has stepped out of reality entirely and then returned to find his world-weary heart beating once again. CLumsy and fumbling.]

[As if one taste could ever be enough.]

So you would claim when I have scarcely done anything - aside from wreck havoc on my own carefully laid plans.

[It's a mild complaint, and here he pauses, gently cupping Hythlodaeus's face. He looks as though he might let go at any moment - but he doesn't. Instead, he watches his friend, his expression lifting hopelessly - the mask slipping for just a moment into something far more tender and fond.]

You're welcome, by the way.

[modestpurpose]

[If Hythlodaeus were to claim that pulling away from that kiss had been easy it would have been the most blatant lie he had ever told, and all he has to give in the face of Emet-Selch's utterly dashed plans (no doubt incredibly carefully laid) is a ringing laugh. He can hardly be sorry, can he, with the way that things have turned out?

Then his brows raise a little, his heart skipping a beat with the way his old friend's expression softens and that ever-present mask lifts just enough for him to see the fondness behind it, and he lets out a quiet 'tch'.]

Welcome, am I..? [He doesn't recall that he thanked Hades for anything, but then again...

Hythlodaeus chuckles again, gently bumping their foreheads together for a moment.]

Oh, my dear, enigmatic love. [His heart is racing now. Maybe it had never stopped.] I'll allow some measure of gratitude that you finally found your nerve. [Another little bump, softer, before he leans in to murmur very quietly beside the other man's ear.]

But once we're finished here, I'm going to intimately acquaint you with everything you've been missing out on.

[His eyes softly glowing with mirth, he pulls back, and then pointedly steals a bite of Hades' pasta dish before he moves his chair back around the table. Then, in a completely normal tone as though he had not just blatantly - and in public, however quietly -propositioned Emet-Selch moments earlier, he adds;]

Does that fit in well with your plans?

[recreator]

['You are,' he wants to insist, his brow furrowing slightly just before the contact - something solid and startlingly close, close enough that he finds himself staring directly into those lovely eyes.]

My "nerve". Is that why you believe I waited so long? Because I somehow lacked the confidence to tell you outright?

[His grousing, too, is cut short, having scarcely escaped him when he feels Hythlodaeus's warm breath tickling his ear, the words seeming to hum and vibrate inside his head. He feels the tips of his ears grow hot, even as he wills his expression to careful neutrality.]

[It certainly doesn't sound like a poor offer. In fact, he scarcely needs to think about it at all with the way even his soul itself seems to shiver in interest.]

[There and gone; Emet-Selch is left to cluck his tongue at his friend's antics, staring pointedly at his now slightly less robust plate of noodles before he turns his attention back to his impish companion.]

Difficult to say, given there is now some overlap between your plans and mine. Then again, they were more of a loose guideline from the first, and not without room for revision.

[A crisp snap - fingers hidden beneath the table as Hythlodaeus's plate materializes in front of Emet-Selch. The man trims off a generous helping of the quiche with the side of his fork, depositing the crumbly pastry into his mouth, and scoots it back across the table to him. Tit for tat...and all that. He chews slowly first, contemplative.]

Yet at what point do we determine that we're finished here? I had my heart set on dessert.

[modestpurpose]

[Does he believe that to be the reason? No, not really. There are a myriad of other reasons why it has not been said out loud until now and none of them really matter anymore.

Hythlodaeus makes a quiet, almost dismayed sound when he hears that snap, sees his plate vanish in front of him, and then it's his turn to pout as Hades takes a (in his opinion, far too generous) sample of his own meal before returning it.

Rude. Though, endearing, all the same.]

Oh, I'm sure we can take our time, if you're not in a rush.

[He smiles again, impish.]

And by all means we can have dessert. I quite fancied the cheesecake, myself. [Oh, how easily he settles back into casual conversation after what he had suggested was on the cards for them later that evening. Not that it is easy by any means. Truth be told he'd like nothing more than to rush Hades home right this minute, but a little anticipation would surely make things sweeter later on.]

Besides, we need some time to decide whose sheets we're going to be ruining.

[recreator]

[A noncommittal hum follows from Emet-Selch's side of the table. While his patience is hardly whittled down to nothing, he wouldn't object to taking their dessert - and the remainder of their meal - back with them.]

[A heavy sigh follows, a shake of his head. It is with the same sort of casual nature that Emet-Selch rests his chin on the heel of his hand - the elbow now quite brazenly propped against the table, some few ilms to the left of his plate.]

Such uncouth language, and not an onze of shame to be seen.

[With his free hand, he returns to threading noodles through his fork.]

You may return home with me. While I could hardly have predicted the exact course of the evening, I might have acted upon a number of considerations...in the event of a positive outcome, that is. Besides, it will give you another opportunity to raid my wine cabinet for some celebratory spirits. Though that is perhaps best saved for later. Much later, I should think.

[Emet-Selch blinks across the table at him as if they are settling some far more official matter than this mutual proposition of theirs.]

Is there ought else which requires discussion?

[modestpurpose]

[Not a single onze of shame, but did Hades really expect it of him? Certainly his attitude has grown more shameless since matters became clear (and his skin is still tingling with the memory of that kiss) but with everything heading in what seems to be the right direction he finds himself buoyed by it all.

He returns to his meal, cutting off a bite of the quiche with the side of his fork. It really is quite delicious. A fine choice.]

Mm, I do think I would rather have all my wits about me while we... [Well. He may be uncouth but he can still show some tact. His lips curve in another mischievous smile.

No need to finish that sentence. Emet-Selch knows exactly what he's implying.

He gives his fork a little wave.]

Ought else should certainly be discussed in private, I think. I have reached my limits for brazen audacity for the moment. [Much to his friend's relief, he's quite sure.] I'm sure your preparations for this most positive of outcomes have been suitably thorough.

[modestpurpose]

Hm! You do drive a hard bargain.

[He looks around for a moment and then places the bow down carefully, leaning it into a corner between a bookcase and a wall. His arms fold loosely as he looks down at her, giving exaggerated consideration to the offer that she made him, then he chuckles lightly.]

That sounds like a fair enough trade.

[And a fair enough gift if that is truly what she wants of him.]

Very well, my little dragonet. That is what we shall do. I shall look forward to being under your tutelage.

[astralera]

[ She hides a small giggle behind her hand as he exaggerates his body language. He seems so earnestly... content? At least that's how it seems to her. And after all the horrors she knows Hythlodaeus has gone through (or will go through), it makes her happy. This world may be more a gilded prison to her than anything else, but for people like Hythlodaeus, Emet-Selch, and even Elidibus it's an opportunity for healing they otherwise wouldn't have.

He calls her 'little dragonet', and today it gives her pause. Era tilts her head slightly to the side, staring at nothing for a moment as she ponders. It doesn't take long for her to shift her gaze upward, shyly peeking at him from under her lashes. ]

Era.

[ Her voice is firm; confident. Though the way she quickly shifts her gaze back to the side and her fingers begin to twitch (seeking something to busy themselves with — idle hands are the devil's playthings, after all), it's clear that this admittance isn't easy for her. ]

It's my nameday, so you should know my name.

[recreator]

Yes.

[A short, if clear acknowledgment. Of course Emet-Selch knows what he's implying, as his thoughts had drifted in the very same direction. While he'll likely wish he had finished his plate, the pasta (tastefully prepared as it is), is starting to look far less appetizing than the man sitting across from him.]

[Emet-Selch studies the dish thoughtfully.]

I find I could get used to it - this brazen audacity of yours. Still, I'm inclined to agree. We've much ground to cover, and while one can only hope such talk is not nearly as exhaustive as your promised demonstration, I would prefer not to leave you with any unanswered questions tonight.

As for the preparations themselves, I am confident you will find them more than adequate.

[A wave of his hand as he meets that mischievous smile with one of his own.]

And if not, then I suppose we'll just have to improvise, won't we?

[modestpurpose]

[Hythlodaeus is doing - he thinks - a very good job of acting like he's got all the patience in the world for this runaround. In truth, he would drag Emet-Selch out of the door by his shirt if he didn't think the man would immediately scold him quite severely for making a scene. Besides, the mischievous teasing is fun in its own way, and even more so when his companion actually responds to it in kind.

Well then. He didn't think Hades had it in him.]

I suppose we shall. I find myself quite looking forward to it.

[Understatement of the eon. Hythlodaeus' patience lasts through the rest of their meal but does not extend to dessert, which the two of them have boxed up to go before one of them ends up saying something far too out of turn for a public setting.

He's almost giddy with anticipation when they arrive back at Emet-Selch's door and he does not wait long after entering the house before he's setting the bag containing their boxed treats down by his feet and curling his slender fingers into the other man's collar. He catches his lip slightly between his teeth as he gives the fabric a light but meaningful tug.]

Hades.

[Hythlodaeus looks up at the man from under his eyelashes.]

I have waited long enough.

[recreator]

Still hungry are we? And this after we've just spent the last bell dining together.

[The quip is unnecessary, truly. A force of habit to fill the silence left in the wake of Hythlodaeus's...demand. For what else can he call such a firm assertion, one which leaves no room for misinterpretation? Hades's eyes are nearly blinding in the dim light of his living area. Here, there is no one else around to see, no one else around to hear, and little need to keep up any manner of appearance - save perhaps for his own pride.]

[Pride which, at the moment, is nearly drowned out by the way his own blood quickens in his veins, by just what those words do to him - and how much.]

[Hades takes a step forward, his hand sliding up the back of Hythlodaeus's spine as he meets that gaze, as he leans down - the what? scarcely an ilm or two between them - to kiss him again properly. He doesn't quite give in to the tug, however. Perhaps he's testing his luck - or gauging Hythlodaeus's desperation.]

[Still, the time for waiting is over, and so Hades speaks frankly, his breath still warm against Hythlodaeus's mouth.]

Tell me how you want me.

We should at least set the stage for the rest of the evening, should we not?

[modestpurpose]

[He is sure that Hades is still trying to tease him, and how cruel he is to do something like that, but Hythlodaeus decides to go along with it.

He's hardly so shy that he's going to falter now. That kiss is answered hungrily, leaned up into as he keeps his grip on the other man's collar, and he just about manages not to whine when Hades draws away from him.

'Tell me how you want me.', he says, and Hythlodaeus' brain locks down for a moment. How is he supposed to answer that question? He has so many fantasies he scarcely has the words to describe them.]

I want to undress you. [Hythlodaeus tells him after a few moments of thought. His hands trail down the other man's chest with idle slowness.] And take my time to explore every inch of your skin.

[He inhales. His breathing shakes.]

I want you to touch me until all I can think about is you. I don't want to have a single thought in my head save for your name. [A button slides open under his thumb. He looks up at Hades again, meeting his eyes.] I want you to take me and I don't want you to tease too much. Not this time. I want to be yours, Hades, in every way you would mark me as such.

[That same hand moves up again, sliding into Hades' hair, gently combing through it.]

And I want you to be mine. I want to carve my love for you into your skin until it aches. [He's almost whispering, his eyes soft but earnest, meaning every word.]

I want you to make love to me like you've waited twelve thousand years to do it.

[recreator]

[Hades scarcely knows what to do for a moment, met as he is with such earnest honesty. He should be used to it by now, perhaps, and yet it still surprises him - startles him - when he has gone so long without, spent so much time mourning the loss of a soft laugh and a gentle hand.]

[Honest answers beget honest answers. There's no place for grumbling or teasing here, no room for misunderstanding. Idas has laid his heart bare. How then can he respond with anything less?]

[Hades exhales slowly, as if all of the tension and bluster is being evicted. He doesn't so much move, and yet he presses forward, ever so slightly, into that touch, lifting an arm to wind his fingers around the hand now combing through his hair - but doesn't stop its trajectory.]

What other way is there, love? Doubt you the span of years, or the breadth of my affection? 'Tis the only way I would know how to please you, and yet I could not tell you what such a thing would look like even if you asked me to.

[Hades meets his eyes.]

I would have you laid out beneath me with your hair tumbling across the pillows, your face cast in shadow so that I might drown myself in the color of your eyes. I would have you over me, leant forward so I may watch your delight and your ecstasy.

You speak of the flesh, and yet it is an ephemeral, borrowed thing. Yet if I were to mark you, I would engrave my love upon your very soul, so that you would never again have reason to doubt.

[He plucks the hand gently from his hair, presses his lips to the back of Hythlodaeus's hand before pressing it between his own. His gaze drifts, briefly, towards the door of his bedroom suite - still slightly ajar, with a warm, inviting golden glow spilling through the cracks.]

So go on. Explore to your heart's content. And perhaps in so doing you will see fit to lead me into sweet delirium, or drive me to the edge of tears. Mayhaps both at the same time.

[modestpurpose]

[Up until the very last moment, he isn't entirely certain of how his words will be received. He is certain that Hades won't mock him, no, nothing like that, but as for what he will say...

And of course it is beyond anything he could have hoped to hear. He listens, enraptured once again by the other man's voice, while he speaks his heart with such eloquence and openness as Hythlodaeus has never quite heard from his lips. His heart swells close to cracking with it, brimming with emotion, the hand so gently clasped subtly trembling between warm palms.

Hades' attention drifts and his own goes with it, the barest of glances cast over his shoulder to that doorway before he's drawn back to the other man's face again. He pulls Hades' hands against his chest where his heart beats frantic and solid against his ribs and his still-free one slips nimble fingers around the back of his companion's neck to draw him in for another deep, warm kiss.]

I love you. [He's teased it. Hinted it. Now he puts it into plain words.] With all my heart and soul. With every mote of my being.

[Then he smiles, lowering their hands between them and snagging Hades' fingers as he steps back. Steps towards that inviting open door.]

Come. [Hythlodaeus tilts his head as his expression turns coy and soft all at once.] Let me show by actions what can never be adequately expressed in words.

[recreator]

[He can feel it. The way his fingers tremor, the wild rhythm beneath the palms of his hands where Hythlodaeus left them to feel. So much fire and excitement... He senses, too, the way his aether swells in anticipation, proven yet again as he's drawn into an ardent, affectionate kiss. The sort one reads about in books but never quite expects to experience himself.]

[Had his limbs not just been arranged in such a way, Hades would surely pull him in deeper still, instigate some of the desires Hythlodaeus had laid out for him. And yet it seems this discussion isn't over just yet. Hythlodaeus may as well be speaking music in place of words.]

[Hades is left to stare a moment, his fingers shifting against the loose fabric of Hythlodaeus's shirt, his eyelids drooping half-closed as he allows the notes to sweep over him again before - at last - he chuckles quietly, a single syllable both deep and fond.] I can feel it.

How fortunate I was planning to give you mine own heart. Yours seems fit to jump right out of your chest.

[He allows himself to be led towards his own bedroom, strange as it is. 'And a little early for that,' he thinks. His lips quirk briefly, and then his usual seriousness returns. Hythlodaeus had said that he shouldn't tease him too much. Which means he's still allowed to indulge in their usual games just enough.]

I would not have said your choice of words were inadequate. Still, if you believe you can do better, I'm not about to deny you your performance - assuming there will be some opportunity for audience participation...?

Do mind the bed, however.

[Hythlodaeus will discover what he means as soon as they pass the threshold. The bed itself is an expansive affair with clawed legs that stick out a few ilms too far, yet well-appointed with a tasteful array of pillows and soft cotton sheets. The rest of the room is unlike the remainder of the apartment. The furniture here is distinctly Amaurotine in design - similar but not quite the same as those from Hades's flat back in Achora Heights. The glow which had been streaming through reveals itself in the form of an expansive picture window, but what should be the grounds at Satori Hills and the Epiphany skyline instead show glimpses of another city altogether with its familiar spires and orderly lanes lined with wisteria trees. The scene melds almost artfully with the pots of purple flowers and draping ivy that occupy the balcony outside. For a mercy, perhaps, there are no signs of people - either real or illusory - simply this rose-tinted backdrop from their past.]

[He lets his fingers slide from Hythlodaeus's grasp, shifting to wrap his arms loosely around his companion's waist as he draws him back in before he can drift too far ahead.]

[modestpurpose]

[Oh, the things he might say if she moved to query his demeanour. Hythlodaeus is happy, deliriously so as of late, and his usual content attitude being increased tenfold is easy to see for anyone who knows him.

She has never told him her name and although he has often found it strange it is something that he has bore with as a harmless boundary not to be pressed. When she speaks up in perplexes him for a moment, his mind not quite connecting what she says with what she means, but then she clarifies and his eyes immediately brighten.]

Era.

[A soft exhale pushes out through his nose as he places a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezes it.]

As fine a gift as this wonderful bow you brought me. I must say I feel rather spoiled.

[modestpurpose]

[As far as Hythlodaeus is concerned, having been bereft of any form of physical contact - much less intimacy of a romantic sort - for twelve thousand years, he's being outrageously patient. He doesn't want to rush, he wants to savour every moment that he can, but his thoughts scatter the moment he lightly tugs Hades through that door and turns around.

And he knows this room. That view. His breath catches in his throat as he takes it all in with wide eyes.]

Oh...

[Caught in Hades' arms he stands transfixed, and just for a moment seems lost. Of course Hades would have something like this, sentimental as he is, but the most idle consideration had not prepared Hythlodaeus for the reality of seeing his home spread out before him.

He shakes it off, drawing his mind back to the present and the warm firmness of the body behind him. He tilts his head back against Emet-Selch's shoulder and presses a kiss against his cheek.]

You might have warned me. [Little more than a gentle reproach as he carefully turns in the other man's arms and drapes his own about his shoulders, playing with a lock of his pale hair.] How strange to be attired thus in such surroundings...

[They would have never. Hythlodaeus feels almost out of place in the light colours and layered fabric of his preferred clothing and he lightly toys with the collar of Hades' shirt as a smile returns to his expression.]

Yet there is no view so stunning as the one before me. [He says then, leaning in to brush a barely-there kiss to his lips.] Given the performance is mine, I trust you will be allowing me to lead..?

[Oh, how his eyes twinkle as he says that.]

Sit down for me, my love. Allow me the indulgence of taking care of you.