(ooooh yeah!)
Kaz kept sleeping, curled on the bed beside Will. He looked soft and peaceful and beautiful in his sleep, like a marble statue. His soft, pale hair fell across his forehead just a little bit, and he let out a faint hum, shifting in his sleep and completely unaware of the thoughts Will had had. How close he had come to being killed.
Will doesn't know how long it's been, the early rays of the sun slowly growing brighter and brighter. He's already filled the page with quick sketches and half-cursive observations. A few of the plants had snaked up the bed, per Will's command, and lay beside him. A piece of hair once again falls into his face. He huffs and swipes the lock back behind his ear. He tries not to look at the sleeping man next to him. If he watches, he'll grow fond, and it'll hurt even more once he's inevitably killed. His eyes flick to the blade on the nightstand. His knuckles turn white around his pen.
Kaz eventually stirred and shifted, moving around on the bed. When he awoke, his eyes flickered open and his gaze moved straight to William, those crimson eyes slitted and snake-like and somehow still so fond of William already. "Feeling better?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse and a bit gravelly from being asleep for so long.
Will finally gives in and glances over when he hears the shifting next to him. Kaz's eyes are dark, the color of blood and no doubt tainted with it as well. His heart clenches and a nauseating feeling in his stomach arises as they lock eyes. He shouldn't find comfort in those eyes. He shouldn't- "Fine," Will mutters, going back to his sketching and ignoring the way his spine prickles upon hearing Kaz's morning voice.
Kaz pushed himself upright with a slow, soft exhale. "Good." he said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to go wash off." he got out of the bed, eyes flickering over Will's sketching for a moment, and then he headed over towards the bathroom. "I'll be back." he grabbed some clothes from his closet, as well, taking them with him into the bathroom so that he could change when he was done.
Will only hums in response as Kaz leaves, making sure his eyes never leave the page of his sketchbook. His ankles and back still throb, but the pain is distant and more uncomfortable than anything. His headache has all but diminished. Small mercies. Will bites his lip as he tilts his pen, getting the shading right on one particular leaf. With a flick of his finger, the vine inches towards will. He cups the tendril delicately, titling his head to the side to further study the foreign plant. It's fascinating, beautiful, so unique and different from the human flora he's used to.
Kaz was in the bathroom for a little while, washing off and cleaning his body and hair, and then combing his hair and getting dressed again. When he came out of the bathroom, he was dressed in a loose white shirt that barely clung to his shoulders, the soft linen loose and flowy. The v of the neck went down just past his pecs, and combined with the wide shoulders, showed quite a bit more of his upper torso than his previous outfit had. The shirt was tucked into a wide, red cloth belt, and he wore a pair of black pants. Overall, he looked a touch piratical, but yet still somehow managed to be kingly. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, those black, snake-like marks on full display.
Will spares a quick glance up to Kaz, but snaps his head back down instantly. He feels a warm feeling flood his chest. His face feels hot. He curses his mother for giving him her pale and easily flushed skin. With the back of his hand, he rubs his cheeks and nose, as if he could wipe the color away. For a moment, Will feels almost underdressed - but he's wearing nightclothes that aren't even his and sitting in a bed that isn't even his. The pen twists between his fingers. He tries to still his mind, tries to finish the drawing of the plant is resting in the palm of his and, but all that he can think of is Kaz. Damn it all, He groans internally, praying that the Snake will leave him alone to wallow in misery.
"Care for some breakfast?" Kaz asked. His voice was still that low and husky morning tone, and it probably didn't help Will's flushed skin. He did smirk faintly at the sight of that blush spreading over Will's cheeks, and he sat down on the foot of the bed. "Or are you going to ignore me for the rest of the day?" he was happy Will was here, happy that his martyr was here, and he knew it was making him soft, but he couldn't help it.
Will's about to object, but the unfortunate timing of his growling stomach gives him away. "That's fine," He says shortly, eyes baring hole into the page of his sketchbook. His fingers tighten around the pen. "You can't blame me for wanting to ignore you, bastard." His voice is half-whisper, half-hiss. From the venom dripping from his words, one could assume that he's the Snake, and not the other way around.
"I didn't bring you here on purpose, you know." Kaz replied. "Now come. If you want breakfast, you have to get out of my bed." he laughed a little, standing up and sliding on a pair of shoes. He also grabbed his dagger from off the nightstand, tucking it into the belt. He never went anywhere without a weapon, even if his magic could stop anyone from getting close enough to harm him.
Will watches Kaz's movements intently, eyes like a hawk as he notes where Kaz stores the dagger. With a sigh, he closes his sketchbook and sets it on the nightstand next to his bag. The pen's set carefully atop of the notebook. He slides out of the bed, running his fingers through his long hair and nose wrinkling at the feeling of the cold floor beneath his feet. He reties the cinch around his waist and raises an eyebrow at Kaz. "Fine then, take me to breakfast."
"First, do you want some fresh clothes?" he asked, studying the rumpled clothing that Will had slept in. Kaz seemed calm, almost surprisingly so when one considered who and what he was.
Knowing that Kaz would most likely force him into more presentable clothes anyways, Will sighs. "Why not?" He eyes the Snake suspiciously, waiting for any indication of danger. The knife remains in his belt. There's no strange fae magic out for his neck. "Nothing too gaudy."
Kaz nodded a bit. "You will have to borrow some of mine for now. We can speak with a tailor later to see about other clothes." he turned away, opening the door to his closet. "Come. You may pick from my clothing." he stood a bit to the side to let Will look through the closet.
Will hums quietly and follows Kaz to the wardrobe. His makeshift vine ankle braces dig into his skin. However, his joints don't seem the ache anymore. He cards his fingers through the clothes, feeling the silken and expensive textures. They're nice. Eventually, Will settles on a white shirt with metallic green embroidering around the neck. It's flowey, one that won't irritate his back wounds. As for pants, he settles on black trousers and a white belt. "Any place I could change?" He asks.
Kaz nodded slightly. "Bathroom, or you can change in here and I simply will not look." he replied calmly, crossing his arms loosely over his chest as he studied Will quietly. He didn't really care which one Will chose to do; whatever Will preferred was fine, in this case. Sure, there were various things that he might be upset over Will doing, but this was not one of them.
Will nods, taking his things into the bathroom and closing the door behind him. It's not the one he bathed in the night before, this one much more personalized and lived in. There's clutter on the golden marbled counter, a few garments draped over a towel rack. Will keeps his eyes on the floor as he strips down, folding his clothes to set on a stool next to the vanity. The solid vine braces around his ankles snap as Will breaks them off. He redresses in the borrowed clothes, buttoning the tall-collared shirt up to halfway up his neck. The pants are surprisingly fitting, sitting comfortably on his hips with the shirt tucked into it. He checks his appearance in the mirror.
He doesn't look as horrendous as he expected.
There's a green ribbon curled on the vanity. Will uses it to tie his hair back into a small bun at the nape of his neck. A few pieces escape the tie, framing his face. The green embroidery on the shoulders and seam of the shirt certainly bring out his eyes. Sparing one last look at himself in the mirror, Will leaves the bathroom and enters the bedroom.
Kaz's gaze traveled up and down Will, taking in his appearance. A smirk tugged on one side of his mouth, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. Let's head to breakfast now, then." he led Will over to the door, opening it up. A guard stood outside, arms crossed and a slightly bored expression on their face. Kaz gave the guard barely a glance, leading Will past him.
Will doesn't acknowledge the guard standing outside the door, but the question of how long he had been standing there tugs at Will's mind. Would he even care if his king slaughtered the man in his sheets in the dead of night? Will sighs. Probably not. Of all things, they'd probably throw their king a party. In the light of the morning, Will finally takes in the castle halls. They're gorgeous - open air windows leading into the forest, black and gold floorings and ceilings stretching thirty feet above him. With his eyes entranced on the architecture, Will accidentally runs into Kaz's back when the taller man had stopped.
Kaz had stopped at the doors to the dining room, and turned to Will with another faint smirk when the other man ran into him. He didn't speak, just opened the door to the dining room and led Will inside, into the dining hall. The ceiling here was far shorter, and it was clear that this was not the formal dining room. This was a far less formal thing, meant for smaller meals with less people.
Will says nothing and only follows Kaz to the table. The Snake takes his seat at the head of the table, overlooking the rest. Will takes the empty seat to his left, the first chair going down the row. The chair is comfortable, a little stiff but slowly fitting to his form. The plates and cutlery are still worth more than Will's entire house, but he doubts this is even the Fae's most expensive dining wear. He picks up a spoon to stare at it. It has to be real silver.
After only a few minutes, servants began to bring in food, placing it at the table. Others brought in teapots and coffeepots, settling them down, along with pitchers for cream and some sugar as well. All in all, there was plenty of food and drinks, and Will was free to eat and drink as much as he could have wanted to.
(are there other people in the hall or is it just them?)
Will quietly thanks the servants as they set down platter after platter in front of him. He narrows his eyes as he studies the food. He doesn't know what half of it is, nor if it'll somehow kill him. His eyes flick over to the Snake, watching him fill his plate with a dozen different foods. After hesitating for a few moments, Will reaches forward and picks up a teapot. From the smell of the steam, it's herbal. Lavender. He pours himself a glass and cradles the teacup near his nose. It smells like home.
(just them + servants, but servants are leaving)
Kaz poured himself some coffee, adding a bit of cream and sugar, and then began adding various sorts of food to his plate. "Let me know if you have any questions about the food." he told Will after a moment, gaze flickering over to the human and lingering on him for a long time.