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.”
Elluin gave a soft laugh at the kiss to his hands, also allowing himself to be pulled down and kissed on the forehead. He sniffled softly and rubbed tears from his eyes with his wrist, nodding a few times.
"It wasn't your fault, Gray, I don't blame you at all. Not even a little. There was no way you could tell me without risking your safety and anonymity, and that's okay. I didn't expect you to try and find me, though. It was such a welcome suprise!" He laughed as he tried to hold back his tears for the third time that day, shaking his head at himself. "I don't want to leave you ever again. I'm leaving here with you and never coming back if it means I can stay with you and serve you." Elluin leaned into Gray's arms, hugging him tight against their body. He gripped Gray's bare skin soldifiying to himself that his lover was truly here with him, as they pressed their bodies together in a strong embrace.
Gray laughed, wrapping his arms around Elluin's waist and half planning to just never let go. "I'm still so sorry you had to go through that. It must've been horrible." Gray had had his fair share of lonely nights, but at least he hadn't been left with the idea that his lover was dead. Until arriving at the gates of the city, that possibility had never truly occurred to him- of course it had been whispered into the back of his mind a couple of times, but never had he truly considered it. He knew Elluin was strong and capable of holding his own.
"Well I think that's a bit much," he murmured with a chuckle. "We don't have to leave if you don't want to. I could figure out something, some way to stay disguised and safe. If you love it here- and I could see why you might," he interjected his own thought with a hum, "then we'll figure something out. We always do. Regardless of where we go, it'll be together."
Elluin laughed over his tears, a couple falling over his hook in his nose, raising a hand to wipe at his tears for the second time, pinching the bridge of his nose. Reflecting now on how he felt about Gray being dead felt stupid; Gray was way too stubborn to die, wasn't he?
"I want to leave, though. I'm– I don't like it here. I belong with you and the kingdom we'll make together." He pulled out of the hug with another deep sniffle, hugging his head and shaking it a couple times in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm just dumb. I was so afraid for you. I thought I'd never get to see you again after I left. I know the last time we saw each other was just… sad. I was so upset to leave and I didn't want that to be the last impression of me. Not only that but I just wanted you to be safe and happy. You didn't deserve it all to crumble and end like that. You deserve another chance and help." Elluin looked down at his hands as he slipped the soap between his palms, tears still falling off of his nose that he didn't bother to wipe away anymore.
Gray swore he heard the deafening crack in his heart along with the deep pang of sorrow. He slowly reached his hands to Elluin's face, cupping his cheeks and gently wiping the tears away.
"El," he whispered softly, carefully redirecting their gaze back up. "My beautiful, sweet El. Everything is okay. You're not dumb, and there's nothing to be sorry for. You did what you had to back then. And guess what?" He gave a small smile. "I found you!" He spoke in a whisper, pressing a kiss to the tip of Elluin's nose. "I'm so, so sorry it took me so long, but I'm finally here, and we can finally rebuild our kingdom together, yeah? I do get another chance. Everything is going back to normal." He continued spilling reassurances, just wanting to see a genuine smile back on Elluin's face. Everything was finally okay.
Elluin allowed Gray to stroke and assure him, leaning close so he could hear the whispers, tilting his head and blinking away tears that blurred his vision. Other than literally being naked, he figuratively felt really emotionally bare which already something that didn't happen very often among Elves and their lovers. He had never been emotional with Gray either, allowing himself to stomach all of Gray's stress and process it into pure love and support for the Human. That was his role, and he was really okay with that, but he had come to a breaking point upon reflecting on his fear. He nodded against Gray's head though, letting him reassure him in that gentle voice Elluin fell in love with after their first night together. Everything was okay. Gray was safe, and they'd be safer yet when they could get back to a place where they'd both be happy. Upon further thought, Elluin could be stuck in the pits of Hell with Gray and still be happy and content in some way.
"Yeah, everything will go back to normal," Elluin repeated shakily, inhaling sharply through shaky lips. He rose his hands to join their fingers, nodding a couple more times to himself.
Gray nodded once again in affirmation. "Everything is okay," he echoed. He gladly took Elluin's hand in his, closing his eyes lightly for a moment. "I love you," he offered. "So-" a kiss to Elluin's left cheek- "so-" a kiss to his right cheek- "much." and finally, a kiss to his forehead. "And I'm so glad that you feel comfortable to talk with me about these things." He hadn't expected a trip to the bathhouse to strike up such a heartfelt conversation, but he wasn't mad by any means. He couldn't even remember the last time that Elluin had opened up to this degree- or even if he ever had- and he was more than willing to listen and encourage it. Gray wanted to be there for him more than anything else right now. "You feeling any better, love?" As much as he would love to clean himself off and be able to just sit in the warm water for a bit, he wanted to make sure that Elluin was all right first.
Elluin nodded a couple more times to themself, taking one of their hands back to rub at their eyes after the kisses he received. "I love you too, my king, my love, my Gray. Yeah, I'm feeling a little better. You know when to use your special voice with me." He laughed softly, a light smile gracing his lips through his tear-stained cheeks. "You look chilly, here, let's sink under together okay?" He tilted his head away and sunk against the wall, pulling Gray with him by his arms. He cupped warm water into his palms and splashed them onto his face, trying to relax a little, and rubbing his inflamed eyes with a few soft sniffles. "It's so weird being this emotional for me, but I just… I can't help it. When I saw you I forgot everything except just pure emotion and…" He shook his head and dipped his head under the water for a few moments, his hair floating around his head.
“My special voice?” Gray hadn’t realized he had a specific voice he used, but it honestly wouldn’t surprise him if he did. He chuckled, waving it off with only a slight flush of his cheeks. “Mph, yes. Early spring air,” he mused. He let Elluin pull him deeper into the warm water, sighing happily. He was nearly in their lap at this point, but that was hardly a bad thing. Gray dunked under once again, the warmth washing over him pleasantly. Re-emerging, he took the soap from the tile and finished washing himself off, desperately needing to finish that before he could relax. And the lavender smelled nice as well. “That’s not a bad thing, you know,” he answered once they had reemerged. “It was new, but it’s a nice change of pace for me to care for you this time around. You comfort me all the time. It was beginning to feel a bit one-sided.” He chuckled, making sure to show that he was only joking.
As Elluin shook his hair out again, scattering water and getting warm drops everywhere, but glancing at Gray as he spoke. Elluin didn't seem to think it was funny, for they shrugged their shoulders at the other with an uncomfortable grimace, rubbing the back of his head. Elluin picked up that it was a joke, and gestured at that with a meek grin of his own as he rubbed the water off of his face.
"I just think it's easier to help you, Gray," The Elf mumbled quietly, clearing his throat softly and looking down at his now empty hands with a second shrug. "I just don't like being transparent. I like helping you. I enjoy making you smile and laugh by any means necessary. But um… yeah, I like your special voice. You kind of take a higher tone that I haven't heard you take with anyone else but me. It's the special voice. It's your voice for me, and I like that." He glanced up at Gray with a grin.
"I- I mean, that's okay too, obviously! I just meant, um. It was nice to comfort you this time instead of the other way around. Just- You don't have to be transparent like that all the time, but if you ever want to talk about something, just- I'll listen. But you knew that." He glanced down at the water for a second before continuing to wash the dirt from his body. Surprisingly, the water was still had it's bright, blue tint. Part of him had worried that he'd step into the water and it would grow brown with all the dirt and sweat he tracked into it. It would've been funny, sure, but also painfully embarrassing.
"I didn't know that I had a special voice," he hummed, meeting their eyes after a moment and smiling softly back at Elluin. "It's not surprising, though." He offered the sweet-scented soap to them, silently asking if he'd like to wash himself off as well.
Elluin nodded as he looked at the other, but allowed the conversation to slip away. It simply wasn't worth it to him getting angry over something that was intended to be a joke as harmless as that one. Gray himself just said that it was new territory…
"Yeah, you do have a special voice," Elluin repeated instead, smiling a little brighter as he collected some suds on his hands and ran his fingers through Gray's hair instead to wash it. It took a few times with the bar of soap, but eventually his hair was all sudsy and grey from the dirt in it as Elluin massaged his scalp. "I don't think you noticed because you were usually too tired to notice. You'd come and find me and we'd go to bed together as we did… our routine and such. You were usually quiet but I knew that's because, well, the long day–" The Elf interrupted with a nervous laugh– "and we'd get into bed and you'd look at me and say 'good night, my sun and clouds', in that voice you used. I always looked forward to it because even though I didn't understand what it meant, it was special to you. I didn't get how I was the sun and clouds to you… but it felt right. It made me go to bed feeling really warm and comfy. More so than usual of course."
Gray was a bit surprised, but hummed softly and allowed their long, sudsy fingers to run through his hair, even leaning forward to make it a bit easier. He listened with a smile, the faint memories coming back. He was always exhausted at the end of the days, so he didn't remember the specifics. He remembered fawning over Elluin many times and dubbing them many creative, loving pet names before falling asleep, but he never knew that it'd been so special for them. Knowing that, though, made Gray's heart swell. "I never knew you'd liked my silly nicknames so much," he murmured with a smile, glancing up at Elluin and cocking an eyebrow. "I suppose I'll have to keep it up." He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes softly for a second.
"I miss those nights," he spoke after a moment. Throughout everything, he always kept the memories of those nights with him- the chilly nights, especially, when he'd come back to his bed chambers to find the fire ablaze in the fireplace, Elluin calming reading or knitting or doing some other quiet hobby of his. The smile he'd give Gray when he entered the room was positively contagious, and he always smiled back, no matter how upsetting the day had been. Then falling asleep next to him… he'd missed it all so badly.
Elluin leaned off of him to start washing himself off with the same bar of soap with careful hands, glancing up occasionally to just take in Gray for a few moments. "Well, I guess…" He laughed nervously again. "You always seemed to happy to call me those names. Like you'd been thinking about them real hard, and just holding on to them for me." He grinned with Gray's smile, meeting his eyes. "I miss those nights, too." Elluin happened to remember more because he hadn't spend years trying to forget it. In fact probably the opposite– he had spent a while mourning over those memories and feeling as if he hadn't appreciated his lover enough. He missed listening to Gray breathing softly as he slept in their arms, stroking his hair and making sure everything was set up for Gray to wake up the next morning and go about his business. It would be during this time as well that they both would talk and enjoy each other's company the most, which really meant a lot to Elluin. It was then that he was able to learn things about Gray that no one else would be able to know except for Elluin, those small details that no one really notices.
"Though, you and I can go back to that lifestyle soon. Though, I suppose I'll be helping out more if we're going to be married…" He trailed off into his own thoughts as he idly rubbed at his chest at the same place.
Grey flushed softly, glancing down at the water. "I had," he confessed gently. He'd never expected to say it to them aloud, but these past few years had just pushed the idea that every moment with his lover was precious. Whenever he did anything in the years past, he'd come across something sweet to the taste, or pretty-looking, and he'd always make a mental note of something new to call Elluin. He never said them while fully aware, always a bit too embarrassed for that. He'd often utter them as he laid down to sleep for the night, though, his willpower failing him as soon as he'd laid eyes on Elluin every night. He'd spew soft confessions of love and the new pet names he'd thought of that day, often accompanied by his favorites that often stuck around throughout the months. 'My sun and clouds' was a reoccurring one, capturing just how lovely he found Elluin.
"Gods, that'll be nice," he sighed, unable to fight the smile working it's way onto his face at even the thought. He couldn't wait for the ring on his finger; it was such a small thing, but it was a way to keep Elluin with him when he was away, something physical that Gray could keep with him.
Tracking the small movements of Elluin's hands, Gray cocked his head to the side with a soft, mildly amused smile. "Would you like help?" He spoke the offer somewhat timidly, unsure if he was pushing any boundaries with the question.
Elluin smiled out of his own thoughts, blinking at Gray a couple times from his sad memories. There wasn't any need to mope around about it anymore; Gray was right here in front of him, smiling and reflecting with him.
"That's really sweet– I didn't know that. I always thought you just came up with it on the spot, but there were a few times where I thought it was more." He laughed softly leaning forward and offering the soap at the mention of help. "I need help reaching my back." Elluin leaned down into the water, suds floating off of his chest as he submerged himself in the water. He sighed in relief as he let it soak into his lanky limbs, soothing his joints that constantly worked to move him around. He hasn't been able to relax like this since, well, ever. He only really bathed for the sake of being washed and clean, and didn't do it very often.
Gray's soft blush only grew, fighting the urge to hide his face. "I- It's embarrassing to talk about." As much as he loved to shower Elluin with affection, he tended to get flustered when his fond actions were pointed out or addressed. It amused even him that this habit had stuck around for so long. He hummed softly in response, his voice breaking lightly and only adding to his embarrassment. "I can do that." He took the soap, pressing a kiss to the nape of Elluin's neck and beginning to gently wipe down their back. He seemed to need this, if the sigh he gave as he sunk into the water was anything to go by. He made a mental note to make sure that they'd been taking care of themself while Gray was gone as well. He had a feeling he already knew the answer. "Relax, I got you." …That was so incredibly cheesy. He knew that. But for once, he didn't mind too much.
Elluin snickered at him gently as he sunk deeper into the water, tilting his head a little as he felt the soap slip away from the nape of his neck. "You're so cute, Gray, I honestly forgot." Elluin laughed genuinely again, yawning as he was massaged and humming. "Well, if you're ready to go, I can check if Voron came back with your clothes." Though, he didn't move, just leaned back into Gray's arms at the suggestion. "I know you got me." He shifted and turned around a little to take a look at Gray, smiling shyly as he relaxed against his chest. "Is there anything else I could do for you, Gray? We haven't eaten yet, but I did say we'd eat when we got back home. If you're hungry now we can leave. Water feels nice on my bones."
Gray laughed softly at himself, finishing up and setting the soap aside and returning to embrace Elluin lovingly. "Mm. I think I'd like to stay for a bit longer." The water was nice, and it would be a shame to leave so soon. Not to mention how long he'd gone without something like this. "I'm not hungry," he added after a moment, knowing that the Elf would worry about that if he didn't address it. He really should eat soon, but a bit longer in the bath certainly wouldn't hurt. He couldn't stop the uptilt to his lip as his lover leaned back into him, contentedly leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to Elluin's forehead.
"Ah, alright, but I'm not going to let you starve yourself for much longer, Gray." The Elf laughed again, but he was visibly worried at the mention of not being hungry. He ran his fingers through Gray's wet hair, sighing down at him and tilting his head to look at him. A sign of not getting enough food was usually not feeling hungry, and surely Gray didn't eat much on his travels. Elluin pulled the other under the water with him anyway, sinking so they were face level again and folding his legs up comfortably on the floor with a grin, pressing a kiss to his cupid's arrow. "Only a little bit longer, then we can eat and plan to travel. I'll have to clean up my house… we should also talk about, well, running the kingdom too. I know I did a good bit of that economically, so I think once we find some neutral people in this war on our travels back home we can– oh, I'm sorry." He flushed as he realized he was rambling, rubbing the back of their head. "I'm just excited. I think you and I can really make a difference together."
Gray chuckled as he leaned into the touch, the casual contact bringing a smile to his face. He'd missed it all so much more than he'd even acknowledged. "Okay. As soon as we get back to your house I'll eat plenty, don't worry." He hadn't intentionally been eating less, just never having an appetite and the stress keeping him busy with other things that, at the time, he'd felt were more important. He knew that how he'd been living wasn't healthy, his sleep schedule, his eating, even how much water he drank, were all way off. It'd take a decent bit of time to repair, but he was finally in the right mental state to begin.
Gray relaxed into the water and the arms of his lover, listening to him speak with a soft smile. Hearing them speak about something they were clearly passionate about was always endearing, and it was also quite reassuring to know that they really were on board with the idea. "I don't mind your rambling. I'm glad that you're as excited about this as I am."
