"That's–" Unsure of what word to settle on, Will pauses. "That's…" Terrible, unfortunate, heartbreaking? "Tragic. Do you think talking about it might help?" Will softly asks the Snake, using a tactic his mother always used on him when a particularly rude bully got into his head.
Kaz shrugged a little. "I don't know." he said softly. "I miss them." his voice was quiet still. "They…" he trailed off, a soft exhale following the word. "They were a wonderful friend." the best he had had in this lifetime. He hadn't thought he would lose them like that and yet he had. He had lost them, and he hadn't even known until years later what had happened.
Will holds the Snake tighter, pressing his forehead into Kazimir's shoulder. "I'm sorry about your friend. If you would like the book, you can read it." Will has other books to start on after all. He tips his chin up, his nose brushing Kazimir's jawline.
"Are you sure?" Kaz asked in a soft voice. "I…know you were reading it." but his fingers lingered against the pages as if he could feel Lanos's pen, and he wrapped his other arm tighter around Will, holding onto him as he reprocessed this loss all over again. Lanos had been…the closest friend he had had.
"I have other books to read." A pause. "There's one on sentient plants that I'm particularly fascinated in." He offers a weak, playful smile. "Maybe I could build an army of thinking trees." The change in topic is fully intentional, just a small attempt to lighten the air in the melancholy room.
He let out a faint exhalation of a laugh, humming and kissing Will's temple. "Maybe you could, darling." he replied in a soft tone, shrugging a shoulder as he looked down at his lover. "Maybe you could." he closed his eyes for a moment, leaning his head against Will's again.
Will begins to sway softly, taking in Kaz's alluring scent and embracing his comfortable form. For a moment, they aren't the Martyr and the Snake, they're just simply existing with each other, and Will's heart has never felt more full. Slowly dragging him whilst maintaining their embrace, Will takes them to the edge of the bed. The comforter hits the back of his knees and he takes Kazimir down with him, still locked up in each other. Laying down, Will slips his eyes shut.
Kaz moved easily with Will, leaving the book behind as Will dragged him over to the bed, opening his eyes as Will moved them down onto the bed. He leaned down to press a soft, loving kiss to Will's lips, eyes slipping shut again as he moved closer to his lover. Despite the sorrow still lingering in the back of his mind, this was his present. This was where he was and what he wantde, for as long as he could have it.
Will softly leans into the kiss, enjoying it as the first of his lifetime. He hums into it, bringing a hand up to card through Kazimir's platinum hair. Eventually, he parts and sighs through his nose, pressing his forehead to Kazimir's collarbone. I love you, he wants to say, but his heart tells him it's too soon… not worth it.
Kaz hummed very faintly, holding Will close. The way he loved Will scared him sometimes. More than anyone else, Will. It was always Will. Will first and Will last, even as the Snake killed him in lifetime after lifetime after lifetime. Even as he betrayed and backstabbed, it was always Will. Always his Martyr, no matter what else happened.
The exhaustion permanently cemented into his bones takes over. Comfortably nestled in with the Snake… He finds his eyes slipping shut. He can hear the Fae's heartbeat, flushes at the warmth of his hold. His mind buzzes faintly, too tired to truly comprehend his emotions. "I'm tired," he mumbles against Kazimir's chest.
He ran a hand through Will's hair, another little hum leaving him. "Then go to sleep, darling." he whispered. "I will be here when you wake up." or at elast, he most likely would. He couldn't think of a reason he would not be. He kissed Will's forehead, moving a little bit so that Will could be a little bit more comfortable.
"Alright," he murmurs, already half drifting as if all he needed was the small conformation. Surely… surely the Snake wouldn't kill him now… Not when everything had been so tender and sweet and something between them had fixed when they kissed. "Don't… leave–" Are the last words to leave his mouth as he falls into sleep, what he prays will be dreamless and pleasant.
"I won't, love." he whispered, laying beside Will as the Martyr began to drift off to sleep. "I will stay here." he kept gently stroking Will's hair as the young man drifted off to sleep, a soft smile tugging at his mouth as he watched the young man, gaze fond and soft and sweet.
He doesn't know how long he's been asleep, but by the time he finally opens his eyes, the sun is well on its way to cascading down the smokey lavender sky. Still entangled in his arms is Kazimir, the man's white hair mixing with his own deep brown. Will isn't sure if Kazimir is asleep or not, he's too tired to look and see.
Kaz had indeed fallen asleep, his own arms wrapped lightly around Will's and one leg gently resting over Will's in a gesture half protective and half almost territorial. He didn't wake up when Will did, still slumbering peacefully beside the human, his whole body relaxed and soft in his sleep. Normally, when he was awake, there was always something tense in him, always some part of him ready to fight. Now, though, there was none of that, even though he had fallen asleep in clothes that couldn't be too comfortable for sleeping in.
Will begins to stretch slowly and to the best of his ability, not wanting to wake the sleeping Snake around him. Lord, it's all so comfortable and warm and safe–none of the nightmares had even touched him. For the first time in this life, he slept uninterrupted and silent. With a swell in his chest, He tilts his head up so his nose is practically touching Kaz's. The King has no right being as beautiful as he is… the flawless skin and the curling eyelashes and the slight point to his canines Will can clearly see through his slightly parted lips. Not even thinking, Will leans up and presses a delicate kiss to those lips.
Kaz still didn't wake up, even as Will kissed him. His wavy, pale hair was falling into his face, and his chest rose and fell slowly as he breathed. He was still wearing the slacks and button-up he had put on that morning, which couldn't have been comfortable to sleep in, and yet here he was. He did shift a little bit, but only to move closer to Will.
His clothes… can't be comfortable to sleep in. Will could surely help that, it's not like he hasn't done it past lives. They've done much, much worse before–but a sounding knock at the door fully jolts Will awake, no doubt accidentally nudging Kaz in the process. Through the door comes the agitating voice of the same advisor from earlier, begging Kazimir's presence at some meeting. Will frowns.
Kaz, who had been sleeping soundly, was instantly awoken at that nudge. He opened his eyes, listened for a moment, then grumbled softly, wrapping an arm around Will's waist and pulling him close. "If you don't kill him, I will." he grumbled, eyes barely open and glaring over at the door. "Dagger's on the nightstand. I'll pardon you."
He huffs, fully relaxing back onto Kazimir. "I'm not going to kill him," Will mutters against Kazimir's chest. "And you aren't allowed to either." The advisor might be insufferable and strangle-worthy but Will is firmly against killing him–or anyone–for reasons as petty as that.
Kaz grumbled again, nuzzling into the side of Will's head sleepily. "Why not?" he huffed. "Deserves it. I'll pardon you." he kissed Will's temple softly, movements slow and sleepy. "Make everybody scared of you. No one'd ever disrespect you again."
The incessant knocking grows louder and faster. Will groans into Kazimir's unfairly sculpted pectorals. "Never in any of my lives have I killed a man. I am not going to ruin my reputation now." He sighs. "Just banish him from the country or something… Throw him into the woods."
"I'll pardon you." he said for the third time. "It's just a little stab. Just a small one." he said, raising his eyebrows and kissing Will's head again. "Just a quick one. In and out, it'll be so quick and easy." he kept holding Will, glaring over at the door. "Please, love."
"No, I'm not going to kill him and don't ask me to do it again." Even through his sleepy tone, Will prays his point is made and not up for debate. The knocking continues. "Yell at him to go away."