Seon looped their fingers together and smiled a little as Wyn leaned against them, rubbing his shoulder and upper back. "That is more than okay with me. I have spent a lot of energy on thinking today– I am thankful for such a different experience you Fae have offered for me." They took Wyn into a gentle hug next, one arm wrapped around him and the other looped up with his hand, before pulling him along to the steps and offering he go first. But of course, not letting go of the hand he securely kept between his fingers, a romantic gesture at best. "Come morning I can also explore the rest of town. Hopefully I won't stick out too much, but if need be I will put the cloth over their eyes, so to speak. So that only religious folk who have prayed to see spirits recently can see me. That will most likely only be you, but perhaps we will get the occasional Fae looking at you weird." Seonastra giggled at the idea, the image of a strange, gnarled older individual staring them down across the bustling city street of dusk…
Wyn hummed again, and though he knew his cheeks and ears were red as he stared down at their intertwined hands, he decided he'd stop caring for tonight. Even when Seon wrapped him up into a gentle embrace. Sure, he freaked out internally—being assaulted by their scent and inescapable presence tends to do that to him—but he managed to keep his face as passive as possible by using sleep as a cover. He let Seon continue talking and took the lead up the stairs.
The curtains covering the full-length windows through the stairway/hall that connected the levels were unrolled at this point to give Wyn and his friend privacy. But had they wanted them to be open, they could be rolled up onto the full-length rod that held them above the windows. Arenwyn led Seon through one hall, which coincidentally led to the plant room. He quickly tugged on their hand into the next hall, which was a ramp instead of a staircase.
"Believe me," Wyn murmured, "they'll be more interested in the fact that I'm with someone than your looks." He didn't want anyone thinking ill of his God's appearance. He snuck a quick glance up at their face. I like how you look. They were mystical. Gorgeous. Incredible. Beautiful. Every word he could think of, Seon was it, and he didn't like the idea of anyone else thinking otherwise. To distract himself from that train of thought, he opened the door to the next room and muttered, "This is our room. Well, my room, but you know what I mean."
Seon, despite their exhausted expression steadily growing tired, obviously could not help themselves to their curiosity. They peeked under the soft curtains and here and there to witness the different types of growths and roots of plants attracted to Wyn's very being. All bushels of different types, different flowers, different knotted roots snaking through the room they stepped through together in order to get to bed. Seon grinned at Wyn as they walked together, almost admiring him with those soft eyes– somehow much unlike the relationship between God and pupil, somehow finding him more fascinating than the flowers around them. Their expression hastily grew flat when Wyn looked up, knowing full well that they need not make the Fae uncomfortable before sharing a room together.
"Ah, I see you were not lying when it came to plants," Seon observed as they stepped into the room preemptively, moving towards the bed with Wyn in hand. He was much too tired to admire, and hopefully would in the proper kiss of moonlight. They only let go when they cuddled into bed, wriggling into the soft sheets along with their equally as soft clothes, silk and smooth against their blueish skin.
I can stare at them while they admire my house tomorrow, he reasoned with himself. Wyn rubbed at the skin beneath his eyes when Seon let go of him, his palm already tingling with the emptiness. We have tomorrow. He needed to get ready for bed, which was a ritual in of itself, so he tasked himself with that to keep his mind off of the God making himself comfortable in Wyn's bed.
Wyn made a beeline for the mirror on the opposite wall as the bed, so he could see Seon in the reflection. Remembering his promise from earlier, he started to softly speak while carefully pulling his hair from the precisely pinned bun. "A wedding is like a ceremony. It is a ceremony, celebrating two people getting married." Long and curly hair flowed down his back and shoulders, with a frizzy mess lumping at the top of his head from being up for so long. He raked his fingers through the strands and fluffed it up to try and get it to flatten down some, but the loose curls were stubborn in their quest to remain irritatingly kinked. "It's supposed to be for people who are in love, but… well, not everyone is like that, and that's not for me to decide. But generally speaking, that's how it goes, and what it's for."
Giving up on his hair, he absentmindedly picked up a herbal cream and started putting it on his face. "When people get married, it's an incredibly important thing. Two lovers make a commitment to each other for the rest of their lives. They promise to care for each other, love each other, and stand by each other's side for eternity. It's… It's a special thing." He looked over his shoulder at Seon and offered a slightly grim smile. "Not that I'd know, of course."
Seon also busied himself with taking the ties out of their hair, loosening up the thick ponytails of black hair to finally mix with the rest. They shook out their sheet of smooth hair, small, thin strands covering every inch of the area of the pillow the God had claimed for themself. Though after he got comfortable he watched Wyn fix his appearance for bed in the mirror, head tilted so that he couldn't see himself in the reflection, unbeknownst to him that Wyn could see him staring.
Wonder turned into curiosity and confusion as Wyn continued to explain, "hmm"ing softly after. "Why not we get married then? Perhaps we are not lovers of the most intimate degree but what is stopping us from partaking in such a ritual?" They asked this question with no sense of justice or humility, just embarrassingly childish in the face of such an outlandish question to Wyn. While they, again, may have known Wyn after years of living next to him, Wyn could not say the same for the God he just met today.
"You seem as though you'd like to have this type of relationship, if I am reading your insinuation correctly. Perhaps such a thing could be arranged?"
The Gods smiled down on Wyn tonight, even if this particular God seemed set out to shatter his composure and set his heart aflame. He just finished with his skincare when the last thing he expected to hear was dropped into the room without a care for the poor Fae. Wyn's entire face, ears, and neck quickly bloomed a deep rose, and he tried to hide that by standing in front of his closet and changing into sleep clothes. "I–" I have no response to that. Wyn decided to stay silent until he could get his tongue untied and his brain un-fried. Which, unfortunately, left the last thing to do—get into bed. With Seon. The very reason for his speechlessness.
Wyn groaned and fell face-first into bed, face buried into his pillow and arms tucked under it. "Yes, okay, maybe I'd like to someday meet someone that I'd want to commit my life to." His voice was muffled from the fabric, and he turned his head just so to be able to peek over at Seon. His hair spilled all over the pillow and his bare back, and fell in strands over his face. The red tips of his ears peaked out over the frizzy steel-blue cloud. "But that's not the point. We can't just—That's not how that works. We're not lovers, Seon. We don't—It's more complicated than that. Our relationship, at least to me, has just begun."
Seon rubbed their eyes and sat up a little to try and catch sight of the reaction they got, whether good or bad. The blushing red alerted perhaps they picked up on… the wrong thing. Completely.
"I am confused, then why did Míría suggest she set one up if we are not lovers? I think I sorely misunderstood," Seon came to a tonally dissonant conclusion, audibly disappointed that such a stupid blunder had shifted the direction of the conversation. "I apologize for my inappropriate comment." He moved closer to the Fae whose weight shifted the bed, bouncing their laid out body relaxing and calm. He set a hand on the small of Wyn's back, scooting closer to bump their shoulders. "I hardly believe the time matters, though. We will be spending much time together, and while you may not consider me your lover, we should try to get comfortable with each other." He leaned more of his warm weight to Wyn's body, as a comforting force to his confusion and embarrassment.
Wyn sighed and rolled his eyes, though his heart squeezed uncomfortably in his chest at the audible and visible disappointment Seon expressed. I did that. I should've explained better. "Míría is Míría. She's over the top and likes to make jokes like that to get under my skin. I doubt she meant it as a serious suggestion." To get more comfortable, Wyn pulled the blankets over his body, and only froze for a second when he felt the hand on his back. Progress. It's progress. I can get used to this.
Out of things to say, he mumbled a teasing, "Touchy-touchy," in reference to Seon's tendency to physically comfort Arenwyn whenever he seemed distressed, but sobered up when he came up with an acceptable apology. "I didn't mean to suggest your interpretation was outlandish." He smiled and hesitantly reached out to lay a hand on Seon's shoulder. "It caught me off guard, yes. But I should've explained better. It's… Well, it's one of those things where you don't truly understand it until you experience it. So please don't apologize for my failure to properly explain." He sought out the God's gaze, skin still dusted pink, but tried to hold it as confidently as he could. "And as for getting comfortable with each other… I'm trying. I'm not exactly used to this sort of thing, so be patient, please." As if to prove his words, he shifted his body closer to them, seeking out their warmth almost automatically. His skin itched with the urge to curl up against Seon's chest and fall asleep there.
Seon's eyes met Wyn's, locking with his confidently. He was clearly hungry for reassurance, a gentle word of advice from the Fae and an explanation for everything going on. Seon clearly looked like a petrified deer in the middle of a pack of harmless rabbits, not intended to hurt them, but still unsure in the face of a completely new culture and people.
"I see. I have only really heard of it, but Mother says it is a beautiful thing between two people. An understanding of trust and love between them, no matter what. I thought we had some means of qualifying for such a thing. A pledge for loyalty and forgiveness is such a thing I like." Seon allowed Wyn to tuck himself into his arms, unconsciously wrapping them tight and snug around the slim shoulders of the Fae, such as a child would with their stuffed animal. They wrapped themselves around their subject next, legs almost completely tangled up together as Seon made themself comfortable for bed. They heaved a big yawn, cuddling into their own head, antlers scratching at the pillows untouched, soft hair tickling Wyn's features. They continued to stretch and move and rub their head for a while, until finding a spot wherein they got comfortable, and eventually fell asleep, his arms still securely tucked around Wyn.
Wyn leaned into Seon's touch, eyes fluttering closed and hands idly tracing patterns over the God's arms and back. "It's okay, Seon. You're alright," he whispered, but he had a feeling the words went mostly unheard when he steadily got crushed into the mattress. He heaved a sigh and knocked his head against the God, thinking over the current situation. So much for keeping our personal space. Granted, he could probably push Seon off after a bit and regain their personal bubbles. But basking in their warmth and being securely held in his arms felt too good to give up so soon. So he shifted around for a moment to get comfortable, careful to not disturb the being using him as a body pillow, and settled down once more—an arm lazily draped over their waist, body tucked close, legs still tangled together, and a hand resting against them. When completely awake, Wyn knew he'd never have the courage to be this physical. It was too intimate, too personal. But Seon didn't seem to think so, and he recognized the need to get used to their ways, or else he combust at any small movement.
With that lingering thought, the little Fae yawned and fell asleep snuggled against their God.
The pair of Fae slept until night blessed the area around. The streaming hush of moonlight, their sunlight and alarm clock, making curtains silvery and whimsical over the sleeping bodies of Fae and God. Small streaks hastily drawn by a messy hand, broken by the bed frame and the roots twisting through the room from the windows and the plant room. Now in the face of the moon, these plants blossomed, showing faces of blue and pink, a beautiful backdrop to the peacefulness of the couple with arms wrapped around each other.
After a few hours of uninterrupted sleep, the eyes of the young God opened, and stretched his long legs, stiff from his lack of movement. He yawned deeply, releasing Wyn from his clutches to stretch out and fall onto his back for a most cat-like stretch. He hummed and smiled to himself, setting hands on his own belly to allow himself to wake up, glancing at Wyn and grinning happily at the sleeping Fae's face.
Leaves and vines rustled awake from within the house, stretching their limbs and letting their petals soak up the loving caress of the moonlight. Blooming plants creeping over the tree's branches outside softly brushed up against the windows and tried creeping their way into the room to join the others. Greenery and flowers alike roused from their slumber; they woke with grace and beauty, so unlike their caretaker.
Wyn remained asleep, not easy to wake after a long and emotional night. His face scrunched up at the loss of Seon's warmth. The unconscious Fae sleepily patted the bed where the God's warmth lingered, then grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest and buried his face in the soft fabric. Wyn's body curled up into the fetal position around the pillow, his hair was a tangled and curly mess, and he partially struggled to breathe, but a content smile graced his features as Seon's scent flooded his senses and lulled him back into a peaceful dreamland, filled with unspoken fantasies and hopes that he'll forget when he wakes.
Seon giggled softly as tired but unwilling to keep sleeping eyes followed the path Wyn naturally took, enjoying the sight of his body sinking back down into a peaceful, warm slumber. Such a sleep is one you could only dream of, that hidden smile barely caught by the studious Seonastra, a matching smile blessing the features of a benevolent God who was much more mortal than he appeared to be.
Especially in the regard of moving after waking up. His legs decided they were too comfy curled up under the weight of his stupid brain, heavy shoulders and warm clothes sticking to him like honey. It was all too comfortable right now, like this moment in time was hand-picked by none other than fate itself. Seon knew that time did not stand still forever, and preferred it that way, but he wouldn't mind if it all came to a screeching halt. Watching Wyn breathe calmly kind of gave it that effect, time moving fast and slow at the same time, as though underwater.
Minutes ticked by in comfortable silence. Dreams flickered and morphed into fizzling and muddled messes until they completely dissipated. Wyn was blissfully unaware of the attention on him. Had he been aware, he might've tried to he a little more presentable and less ruffled. But alas, it was what it was, and he slowly regained consciousness.
Wyn's eyes cracked open a fraction. The heavy feeling of eyes washed over him the moment he woke, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. Sure enough, the sight of Seon's gaze on him was the first thing presented to him. Strangely, the thought of this being a regular dawn sight brought a happy thrill through his spine. He blinked sleepily and smothered a yawn with the back of his hand, but otherwise didn't move a muscle to get up or make Seon stop looking at him. In fact, he stared back. Squinted and with slightly hazy vision, but he stared and admired the God's beauty instead of shying away from them. "Maybe I can get used to this," he mumbled into the pillow.
Seon perked up a little when he heard a voice, realizing it was the victim of his affections squinting at him from his place cuddled into the bed.
"Mm– good morning. I must have zoned out." They laughed softly, setting their feet to the floor with little regard for Won't answer, mostly out of embarrassment. Cheeks warm in the chill of night, yet their central moment faded as they stepped through the hall of nothing but flowers. All of the night blooming plants greeted them with white, cyan, green, and even hints of phosphorus glow winked at Seon as they passed slowly through it. The light of the giggling flowers smoothed out the light blue to a silvery, their hair gleaming as well despite its fuzzier, messier quality because of slumber. The flowers also seemed attracted to him, turning faces to him, or leaning most humanely closer to his shoulders and face when he paused to observe them. Despite not being the Goddess of Fertility, some air about him contracted more than just Fae. He stopped dead after catching sight of one of the biggest blooms, originally curled in on itself when they passed through earlier, but now a huge white blossom with kisses of delicate phosphor glows and streaks of green. In its bushel, there were also different colors of this same flower, all moving closer– blues, reds, greens… This flower was the portulaca. They tickled Seon's face and surrounded the astounded person, reflecting their gentle UV light onto their skin and lighting up patches of delicate skin.
Wyn grinned sleepily at his precious and gorgeous God, but the expression faltered when Seon left rather abruptly. Was it him? Did he do something wrong? Gods, was I drooling? Wyn hastily sat up and wiped at his mouth, but thankfully found no traces of drool. He sighed, sinking back into the mattress, but his relief was short-lived and bittersweet. Seon left him. He left me. Was he really so repulsive? Or was it something else?
Groaning, he face-planted into the pillow and sought out the comfort of his plants. He couldn't do much, but he could magically reach out to them—and spiritually, if he tried hard enough. But it was early morning, his thoughts were all over the place, so the spiritual option was out of the question. Either way, their winding and glowing auras sought him out as he reached for them, brushing over his spine and soothing his worries. Seon is not upset with you, they told their caretaker, you need not worry. They whispered what they saw, and Wyn smiled into the pillow. He might not have the privilege of seeing them in the middle of his rescued and raised collection, but knowing Seon was in awe was more than enough for him. Now, he only vaguely wondered what they were doing up so early.
Seon allowed just a few more minutes of standing and swaying, as though moving with an impossible wind, before continuing back out, with firm intent downstairs to the kitchen. They ignored their body telling them to stop and observe, to explore, to touch and hear and see things that Wyn had lived around his whole life for themselves.
Seon stopped at the places where he saw Wyn take from yesterday, carefully cooking so that they didn't make too much noise, but they couldn't control the smell of breakfast. They found a couple fresh eggs given to them by a few hunters walking around, dropping off game, and was able to make plenty of flat cake-like discs of well-seasoned eggs, drizzled in a sweet nectar borrowed from a couple roots and trees. All Seon had to do after cooking was clean and wait. The noises of dishes clattering as he washed them by hand were harder to disguise, but thankfully there weren't very many to wash. They settled back down in their seat, stretching out and yawning deeply. It was worth it waking up earlier than usual to cook.
While Seon cooked, Wyn hugged their pillow to his face and wallowed in the never-ending dilemma of life: when to leave the cozy embrace of the blankets. He already lost Seon's arms and warmth. Losing his blankets would be the end of him. However, the steady echo of movement from downstairs, and the traveling scent of breakfast, begged him to get up and find Seon. Wyn groaned, already hating the idea of leaving his bed, and dragged himself out from beneath the covers.
He didn't bother with changing, and instead opted for sulking through his home in just his pajama bottoms. His fingers combed through his tangled hair and ruffled it up, long bangs falling into his face, as he sleepily made his way downstairs to the kitchen. When he spotted Seon, Wyn visibly perked up and shuffled over to the God. He never thought to think through his impulses before he came up behind his God and slumped his body over their shoulders, burying his face in their shoulder and loosely hooking his arms around their neck. Breakfast smelled and looked divine. I don't deserve this, but I'll take it. "Thank you," he mumbled, "it smells amazing."
Seon had been picking at a couple of forks made of wood, looking them up down and center before being clomped on by the Fae who had been kind enough to house him. He startled a little, but giggled nevertheless at the weight pressing down and the suddenly very physically affectionate man.
"Good morning," Seon responded first, "you're welcome. I thought I'd cook you something nice to show my appreciation for you and your roommate's ever growing kindness. I am not the most skilled at cooking, but I hope you do enjoy it." They set their hands on Wyn's arms, stroking the skin he found there with a big toothy grin on his face, more than happy to be there, hugged by both Wyn and his wild hair. "Your flowers are beautiful when they are in full bloom. I have rarely seen flowers so move so eloquently towards their subjects," Seon prattled on, filling comfortable moonlit silence with their observations, almost like a scientist proving a thesis, or perhaps like a young child who just happened to see something cool. "I wonder where you found the seeds for them, but then I realized it must have been your gift, like I said yesterday. It is such an amazing gift." They turned their head to look down on Wyn cuddled in to them, admiration clear in his eyes.
"Mmm," Wyn hummed. He wasn't in any rush to move away from Seon, and definitely didn't want to pull away when they started to gently stroke his arms. As if this was normal. As if we were a normal couple, and this was our every morning. He warmed at the thought, and chose to hold onto that fantasy for the time being. "Some of them started as seeds. Most are rescues, though. Like that flower by the river." He loved his garden, loved the room full of blooming flowers, winding vines, and sprawling shrubs. Wyn didn't admit it often. He tried so hard to keep up the macho, untouchable, dedicated scholar persona, and an unhealthy obsession with plants didn't exactly help that image. "I'm glad you like them." Blushing? He was definitely blushing.
A little voice told him he was lingering too long. Hanging off of a God wasn't something a normal cleric did, and he felt guilty for enjoying it. Wyn enjoyed watching and listening to Seon gush over the fruits of his interests and looking at him like that. He wanted this to be his everyday. His normal. And perhaps it will, once they began their adventure.
Seon didn't seem to mind whatsoever, still holding onto that arm he clung to, grinning and talking away.
Yet it didn't last longer than ten minutes, which felt like a blink in time for the God, but not to their hungry stomach. "Please! Sit, enjoy breakfast with me my dear. I don't want it to get too cold." He turned, tugging on his shoulders. "You let me talk too much and now you're gonna eat cold eggs." Seon ushered Wyn into a chair, then pulled it closer so they were sitting leg to leg, keeping that physical touch, and as they ate, shoulders brushed and elbows bumped together. Seon talked between mouthfuls, giggling to himself as he chattered about this and that, it all honestly leaking and melting together. The hum of the voice from their throat filled the room and warmed the chilly corners, tapping on the lonely ears devoid of such a cozy experience of togetherness.
I'm lucky, Wyn thought with a large note of amusement, that I enjoy listening to this blabbermouth talk. He burrowed further into Seon's shoulder and clung to them for as long as he was allowed while they talked, and the time flew by. In no time, he was being tugged into a chair and manhandled around. Wyn let it happen with a soft smile, and leaned into the warmth he briefly lost throughout the duration of breakfast. The food wasn't fancy, but it was good, and Wyn devoured it as politely as possible without looking like a slob. Of course, they couldn't go in silence. Not that he was complaining, because it gave him the excuse to sit and stare at the God without looking like a creep. He managed to sneak in a soft compliment for the food when there was a pause between Seon's mindless chatter, not wanting to interrupt but also wanting to show his gratitude once more.
Seon ate rather quickly as well, apparently just a strange habit they picked up along the way of r. He ate with a gentle carefulness so as to not spray food everywhere as he chattered, yet despite that detail, the eggs disappeared as fast as he talked.
A big smile broke out over their cheeks when Wyn complimented them, laughing at his shy, quiet words.
"You're welcome, my love," Seon hummed happily, setting a hand across their shoulders and bringing Wyn close to their chest, pressing a delicate kiss to the top of his head. "Thank you for enjoying breakfast with me, and again welcoming me graciously into your home and bed. I had a wonderful night." They leaned their head down next, hugging Wyn tight against themselves, in a firm embrace. For just a few moments, the God was silent. Enveloped around Wyn again made the God visibly happy, lips curled up and their heart beating fast against the other chest, daring Wyn to do something more ballsy and affectionate.
"You're welcome to stay however long you want."
Seon's words echoed through Wyn's skull, even as he cosied into their chest, and unwound him into a flustered mess. My love. Did he dare fantasize? Images filtered in and out of his mind. Seon gently coaxing him from his slumber every morning as a routine. Breakfast waiting and ready for him on the kitchen table and a kiss for a greeting. Endless hugs. Endless nights spent happily trapped under Seon's weight. Wyn shut down that train of thought before he got too ahead of himself, the tips of his ears a slight pinkish hue from the beginning of impure thoughts. To distract himself, he buried himself further into Seon's chest and tipped his head back to press a whisper of a kiss to the edge of their jaw. Maybe I can pretend. Wyn idly dragged his nails back and forth over Seon's arm. Maybe I can pretend, to myself, that this is real. Maybe it can keep me from freaking out anytime he does anything that toes the line of platonic affection.
Seon didn't seem to notice the obvious signs of panic from one of his subjects, as he sat in happy silence, cuddling Wyn close to him. The embrace lasted for a few wonderful minutes– that perhaps felt like hours to Wyn– before Seon spoke up again, inevitably breaking the silence.
"We should not spend all of the moonlight indoors. Would you like to go get ready and show me around town? I am sure there are many different people to meet who are your friends." Seon pulled away, smiling after pressing one more delicate kiss to his forehead, and with idle hands took some of Wyn's fuzzy, unkempt hair to braid. "Getting ready of course accounts to me as well. I simply cannot meet new people looking this ghoulish." They laughed at themselves, obviously some sort of dramatic joke they were making about the spoiled nature of some… well, most likely all, young Gods like himself.
