Curled close to Elluin and taking advantage of their height over him, Gray slept deeply, comfortably, and without issue for the first time in a long while. Though he'd ignored his bodily needs for the time he was on the road, now that he'd found what he'd been searching for, he felt that he could finally allow himself to rest safe and sound in the arms of the one he loved so dearly.
It would take a few days for Gray to recuperate and return to his full health, but he already felt so much better just finally being near Elluin again. He knew that wasn't his physical health improving- though he had a feeling that they would get him to greatly improve his self-care- but improving his mental and emotional wellbeing was a good first step. He'd get to bathe, and have an actual meal. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a balanced plate in front of him.
The life of a scholar wasn't made for an Elf like Elluin, and he knew that much as soon as he laid eyes on his Gray again. He missed talking to people and learning through physical, hands-on means instead of reading books all day (like he clearly had been), and living the monotonous, continuously uninteresting life he lived after he was forced to leave. He could only imagine how much Gray had gone through to find him here, but he also thought about it with a sense of wonder. How much did he learn? What creatures and animals did he come across?
His dreams as he slept were images of greenery flashing before his eyes, the crunching of sticks and small rocks under his sturdy traveling boots. As he looked around in his dream, he saw the figure of Gray in them, smiling and talking to him.
As Elluin woke up a few hours later, slowly blinking his brown eyes open, the warm sun and feeling of leaves didn't fade until he realized he was at home, curled up securely around Gray as the other slept on.
Gray continued to rest, needing to catch up on the sleep he'd lost. He'd likely sleep for another couple hours at most. He'd likely stay in the soft bed a little while longer even after he awoke, though. He was thoroughly exhausted, as was expected.
He didn't dream- or at least, he didn't remember dreaming. It was a pleasant kind of empty sleep, though, where he would wake up slowly, feeling warm and loved instead of the harsh jolt back to reality he'd had over his travels. It was a small detail, something no one else would notice, but to Gray it would mean that he'd finally found his way back to where he was supposed to be. He had a feeling that as long as Elluin was by his side, he would sleep sound at night, and the thought would make him smile.
Elluin stayed wrapped up around Gray for a while, listening to the quiet mull of voices from the Elves outside as they went home to get some rest. He slowly stretched out around the sleeping form of the other, grabbing one of the many books on his inn table to read the time away. This particular book was about different patterns of weather, and about snow. Elluin hadn't seen much snow in his travels around Humans, but he made a mental note to ask Gray about it. He had been a king before, so he did a lot of traveling to other countries when he was royalty, so he had seen it before, right?
The thought was comforting. It felt correct. In the time they were together Elluin constantly pestered Gray with his almost infinite amounts of questions, and he didn't have that for many years when they were apart. Now reading over his sleeping (snoring) form, thoughts of growth together and what they could achieve bloomed in Elluin's head. They could conquer the world together if they set their minds to it.
Gray awoke slowly about an hour later, nuzzling closer to them before he'd even fully woken up. He blinked a few times before reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes, smiling and turning to look at Elluin behind him. "Hey," he greeted softly, glancing at the book in their hands. "What're you reading?"
He wasn't sure exactly what time it was now, but the light slipping through the slits in the blinds illuminated the ethereal Elf beside him perfectly, shimmering in his eyes when he looked up to meet Gray's gaze and stretching across their face and shoulders perfectly. It lit up their most handsome features, almost seeming as if pure sunlight caught in their hair. The scene was entirely too gorgeous for Gray to resist, leaning forward slightly to press his lips to their shoulder lovingly.
Elluin glanced down at Gray again as he stirred, tilting his head down and giving the top of his head a kiss. His bluish hair shimmered silver at his movements as they hunkered together away from the heat of sunhigh. Elluin set his book down a little, using one of his fingers as a bookmark to run his fingers through Gray's hair and straighten it out the best he could.
"I'm reading about the weather. Specifically about snow, for the past couple hours. I've never seen it but I've heard of it aplenty of times." His eyes went wide as he talked about it, the sun turning his pupils a honey brown color. "But how did you sleep, my love? I forgot how long Humans sleep for, but you looked very comfortable. You had a smile on your face the whole time you were sleeping." Elluin was teasing him gently, with his own smile highlighting his Elven features.
Gray hummed softly, closing his eyes lightly and leaning into the casual touch. He'd missed it so much over the years, possibly more than anything else. Just being able to lean over and feel Elluin next to him, slender fingers running through his hair as if it was a completely normal occurrence and not something that made his heart flutter every time.
"I slept well," he said softly, smiling sheepishly. He hadn't realized that his contentment would be so obvious even in his sleep, but he supposed it didn't matter. It just showed how happy he was to be back. "Is that so? I must've been dreaming of you, then." With a small giggle, he leaned up slightly to press his lips to Elluin's, a soft and tender kiss that lasted only a moment or two. "Snow, huh? I'll have to show you sometime, it's absolutely magical. There's a gorgeous meadow a few mere miles away from the outskirts of the kingdom that tends to catch snow beautifully."
Elluin smiled more against the kiss, leaning forward into it with a contented sigh. He shut the book and set it back down where he got it from a couple hours ago, still petting Gray as if he were a cat.
"I'm glad to hear you slept well, my Gray." Elluin gave a sheepish smile, laughing with him. The nervous flirtatious energy never left his lover despite all the years of traveling he did. "I think it'd be more interesting to see it for myself than read about it, you know? I think I've only seen it once or twice but never how they describe. Can you tell I'm running out of things to read?" He laughed again, shaking his head. He always had the concern of running out of things to read, but somehow he always found more to research. "Now's not the time to complain, though. The bathhouse should be empty if you'd like to take a bath. I can accompany you or I can get Voron to guard the area to ensure your privacy."
Gray hummed contemplatively, adoring the small pets he was getting. Under any other circumstances he might I’ve pointed out how similar it was to how one might show affection for a small dog or cat, but he was too in love with the Elf to say anything. Admittedly, it also felt quite pleasant.
On the one hand he absolutely did not want to leave Elluin’s side just yet, but on the other, he didn’t want to tear them away if they had other plans. He’d pretty much just stumbled back into their life out of nowhere- he was still surprised that he hasn’t moved on or anything like that- so it made sense that Elluin might not want to be connected at the hip with him for days at a time. “Did you, um. Did you have plans for today?” He tilted his gaze downward, aimlessly fiddling with the hem of the robe.
Elluin sat them up carefully, moving his legs off of the edge of the bed and stretching out his calves. "I don't really have a lot of jobs, especially at this time of the day. Besides it should probably be my job to keep an eye on you and keep you safe, well fed and watered." He leaned down and gently took Gray's hands from the hem of the robe. "If you want me to accompany you, I don't mind at all. I could use a bath, I'm sure." He smiled and stood up, swiping his hands down the front of his robe, the soft silken threads gleaming in the sunlight. "The sooner we get you cleaned, we can also sit down together and eat. Catch up and the like." He turned around and offered their hand, still smiling warmly.
Gray nodded slowly, looking up at them after a moment. “Thank you,” he said with a gentle laugh. He watched Elluin stand with a lovestruck sigh, gazing up at them with a gaze of clear admiration and affection. He couldn’t get over how absolutely gorgeous he was even back when they were together every day, and now that they’d been apart for so long, the sheer beauty of his lover was striking to see once again.
He took their outstretched hand with a soft smile of his own, bringing himself to his feet and being forced to acknowledge how much taller than him they were. It was amusing at some times, attractive at most, but mostly inconvenient given that he had to tug on Elluin’s robes like a small child if he wanted even just a quick kiss. “That sounds very nice,” he decided. Though everything would sound nice if Elluin spoke of it in his voice, a bath and a nice meal with his lover was all he’d yearned for for years. The simplicity of an everyday life with someone he cared for deeply- pure heaven.
Elluin laughed affectionately, his voice soft like the downy in his mattress. They leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, hugging him close by his hips. There was more than a foot between them, but Elluin didn't seem to mind making exceptions based on his lover. The Elf wasn't quite used to slowing his stride, curling up a little tighter, or bending down way more for anyone but Gray, yet Gray was the only person he was more than okay helping. Gray certainly put up with way more than their height difference, and there was a point in their lives they could look past it.
"Alright then, Gray, let's go." They squeezed his hand affectionately, leading him out of the home with a couple of strides, opening the door and glancing around outside. It was abandoned despite the sun leaking in through the holes in the ground ceiling, and it was quite hot due to the sunlight.
A shifting of robes and a click of wood alerted them of Voron, who moved over from his post. He bowed to Gray slightly before speaking: "What is it you'd like?"
"We're going to go to the bathhouse, Voron. Is there a way you could find some clothes for Gray, just some small pieces of garb works, and guard the area for us after?" Elluin asked politely, with a small, slight smile.
Voron thought for a few moments before bowing again. "Of course. No one is out that I have seen, so you and Gray are safe to walk over."
Gray relished in the closeness, the touches bringing him such immense happiness it was a bit ridiculous. Now able to truly look around, he observed the buildings, the streets, the walls- everything. And it was gorgeous. He didn't know how to begin describing the sense of wonder that filled him, the city looking so ethereal and regal, stretching far above his head.
He blinked a few times at Voron, eyes slightly widened. He hadn't expected him to keep a sense of respect for him. He'd have to ask about that later, maybe clarify that he didn't have to do that. Gray smiled warmly at him, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement- it'd been all too long since he'd had a real bath. "Thank you," he responded cheerfully to Voron.
Elluin lead Gray down the long streets as Voron bowed his "you're welcome" to walk off and find some clothes, memory leading Elluin's feet as he glanced back at his companion with a warm smile. Gray looked happier than he had seen him in a while; his eyes gleaming in awe, a sweet smile on his face, and not a molecule of stress to be seen. It was quite unlike when they lived together back at his castle, but the stress of kingship was a given, and the Elf couldn't blame him at all. It was refreshing to see him so happy for once, really.
The streets of the scholars were quite clean, with white pavement lining the path. It was intricately woven and looked like a Roman pattern of tile. The paths led all around, all around the neighborhood of built in, dirt homes whose blinds were closed and the lights inside were off.
A few minutes of walking brought them to the largest building yet, that was also made of dirt, but woven in with different leaves, pavement patterns, and vines. Elluin led him inside to find a bathhouse filled with comfortable warmth and steam, and careful stacks of towels, soaps, and leaves.
He waved softly at Voron before turning back to Elluin, trotting along beside them and allowing them to lead the way. Everything was so beautiful. It was hard to process that people lived here casually on the daily when he'd never seen anything so magnificent in his entire life. Not like this, anyway. He'd seen plenty of cities and castles, but nothing could compare to the natural beauty of this city.
Walking through the large, tall doors into the bathhouse, the look of wonder on his face only grew. It was warmer inside, obviously, but the stark difference from the still somewhat chilly air outside was quite lovely. The steam lingering in the air was incredibly welcoming, as well… Oh, how Gray had missed truly bathing. "Wow…" He spoke breathily, still gazing around the room. He turned his eyes back to Elluin after a moment, a smile working it's way onto his face with a soft, sheepish laugh.
Elluin paused near the benches along the side of the bathhouse, still watching his Human lover with a smile. He laughed at the awe on Gray's face, gently touching his cheek and drawing both his hands back.
"So… This is a bathhouse, and it is just you and I…" He cleared his throat awkwardly before pulling on the top of his robes. He was pretty comfortable around Gray, mostly for the reason that they had been very close before Elluin had to leave. They had seen a lot of each other, whether it was intentional or it was on purpose.
The Elf folded his robes carefully, setting it down on the bench and bounding off to grab a couple towels. He wore a thin undershirt that wasn't quite as long as his robes, but not as short as a shirt, just barely reaching his knees.
He came back holding two towels and the basket of soaps, setting down the towels and holding up the basket for Gray to take a look at. "A scholar around here likes to make soap. They said that a Human taught them how, and sometimes other Elves like to make them out of magic." Elluin picked up a small lavender colored one, showing it to Gray like an excited child, still smiling despite his red cheeks. "This one's my favorite. I like the lavender ones they make."
Gray hummed, smiling crookedly at the proposition. "A keen observation." He knew what Elluin was suggesting, it was just fun to mess with him and pretend like he didn't. "Are you implying something, love?" He watched Elluin fold their robes carefully, taking notes of how they did it to refresh his memory. It'd been a decent bit of time since he'd done it himself, as much as he hated to admit it.
He slipped off his borrowed robe, making an attempt to fold it in similar fashion as Elluin. He failed, of course, but it didn't look utterly horrible, which was more than he could've hoped for. Once Elluin had returned, all of Gray's attention was returned to him. He peered into the basket of soaps they were carrying, admiring the lovely mixed scents. Every time he moved, he caught a whiff of a different flower, pastry, fruit… It was truly breathtaking how they all managed to combine into something just as amazing. "That's lovely," he murmured, grinning just as wide. He'd missed their smile. "It's quite impressive."
"Yeah, it feels dumb to be excited about, but take your pick." Elluin handed Gray the basket and put the bar of soap he picked down on the bench as he picked up the borrowed robe to refold it. They had to be quite careful when it came to their clothes since it was mostly made of silk, and silk could crease pretty easily in hot areas like this one. Once he was convinced everything was in order, Elluin made his way over to one of the deep pools and stepped in carefully as he removed his undershirt, sinking under into the blue water. The water made his thin hair wet and a deep gray color as it got wet, and the heat made his feet and legs tingle. He submerged himself for a few moments, making sure to get his hair completely wet before popping back up to look around for Gray, smiling wetly up at him.
"Hop on in! The water is great." He beckoned the other with a long hand. "Be careful though, it might be a little deep."
Gray held the basket for them, smiling sheepishly as Elluin refolded the robe. He probably should’ve just said that he wasn’t sure how. He set the soaps on the bench next to the fabrics and took a step toward the water. He might’ve frozen a bit as he watched Elluin step into the bath, their bare skin slowly sinking under. The steam and the light making the scene before him even more majestic and cinematic.
As they reemerged and beckoned for him, he blinked a few times and shook himself out of his trance, flushing slightly. He nodded, testing the water carefully before stepping in. He groaned softly in relaxation, settling into the water slowly. It was a bit deeper than a Human bathhouse would’ve been, but it was soft of nice. It wasn’t uncomfortable deep, either, just different. After growing comfortable, he ducked his head under and ran his hands through his hair before reemerging, slicking his hair back. Looking over at Elluin, he couldn’t help but smile dumbly. “You’re beautiful.”
Elluin watched his Human lover after shaking out his hair, causing shiny droplets to scatter off of their long curls. They looked up as Gray got situated in the pool, adoring the steam floating around the bathhouse and reacting with the sunlight streaming in, making every molecule of air sparkle like stars. Elluin glanced back down when he heard Gray reemerge from the water, smiling brightly at his sopping wet companion.
"Oh, thank you, my love," Elluin hummed back shyly, flushing red as he sunk down in the water to be at his level, pressing a small kiss to his nose and cheeks. "You look so cute when you're amazed like that, you know. I've never seen you so relaxed and happy before." Elluin glanced around for their soaps, reaching up out of the water to grab the bar of soap he brought over. Those same droplets flowed down his long arms and lanky waist, splashing down to the water around his pale hips as he stretched to grab the soap he picked, turning around to present it to Gray. "Want help washing off?" He rose his eyebrows a little.
Gray about melted into the gentle kisses, sighing contentedly. Words could not describe how utterly in love with Elluin he was. Everything he did ended up setting his heart ablaze, sending his pulse racing in the best way possible. He would have to try and put that feeling into words one day, he mused. Perhaps for wedding vows.
"I'm just happy to finally be with you again." He tried not to stare as Elluin turned to retrieve the soap, unsure whether or not they were comfortable with him looking just yet. He played it safe and diverted his gaze until he heard them turn back around with the soap. "Mm, if you're offering." Gray took a few small steps forward, already able to smell the sweet scent of the fresh soap from where he stood. He stood on his toes to lean forward and pressed a chaste kiss to their jaw, the only place he could reach at the moment, before taking a step back.
Elluin seemed clueless or simply apathetic to Gray's internal struggle despite his cheeks being flushed red. He smiled more at the kiss and Gray's breathy whisper, giggling softly as he leaned down to his level again to give him a kiss on his lips.
"I'm glad to be with you again, too. I've never felt happier here than now and earlier. When I first saw you again outside…" His eyes widened a little with the memory as started washing Gray off, collecting suds in his hand and washing his chest for him, careful to pick off mud and dried specks with careful and loving fingers. He wasn't really able to emotionally express how much he adored his Gray except through nicknames and acts of service, both of which Elluin did too often. Whenever he could he always set himself to help his king by finding small things to do around the castle to ease burden off of him. "But it's so amazing to be with you again, Gray. I missed you so much, and I hope you know that."
Gray had been unsure whether his lover had missed him or not the entire length of his journey, but given how he was greeted at the gates of the city, he was certain now. He'd worried that perhaps Elluin had left for a reason, they they'd grown tired of him. It felt good to know that they had missed him just as much. "Mm. I know, you've only said it countless times." He chuckled softly. "…But I missed you too. Longed for you every day and night," he murmured. Gray was very much someone to be upfront about his feelings, especially when it came to Elluin. He'd rather be able to put everything he was feeling into a pretty sentence to speak to them, wasting no time with implications and the like. "I… I adore you, my love."
He'd already said things like this quite a bit over the years they'd been together, but he couldn't stop spilling out the reassurances and loving words. He was so happy, he had to express it somehow.
Elluin looked up at Gray as the other spoke, his smile fading and an awkward shrug hunching his shoulders at the tease. "Right, I feel like I didn't say it enough. Sorry." His gaze flitted back up from where he was washing and nodded a couple times. "I longed for you too. I grieved for so long, longer than I could remember when I heard your kingdom fell. Then I heard you disappeared, that no one knew where you were…" Elluin's shoulders shuttered as he recalled how upset he was. He was actually in the process of trying to get over it, the loss of someone so important to him disappearing without a last word to anyone. Never seeing Gray again alive was just heartbreaking to Elluin. The rumors of a crestfallen, human-obsessed Elf suddenly came up in spur of it, too, making everything worse. The thought made him tear up despite Gray sitting right in front of him. "I was just so happy. I still am. It's so amazing to see you."
“I- I didn’t mean it as a bad thing, of course! It’s endearing.” Gray gently took Elluin’s free hand and pressed it to his lips, a soft, loving kiss. He kissed their hands frequently, both because it was usually one of the only appropriate places he could reach, and because it was a sign of respect and admiration. Altogether, it was one of his favorite places on Elluin’s body to kiss. “I doubt I’ll ever tire of hearing you say those words.”
Just imagining how heartbroken they must’ve been… Gray exhaled shakily, trying not to tear up again. They were together now. That’s all that mattered. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, leaning closer and tugging Elluin down enough to lean his forehead against theirs. “I should’ve made it clearer where I was going somehow. I should’ve tried to send word to you. I could’ve done better, but please don’t cry. We’re here now, aren’t we? I’m not leaving again, I promise. Never again.”
